Frozen Home
by autiger94
Summary: The year is 1941 and Germany has occupied Norway. A well known family is just trying to avoid the war any way they can, while keeping a secret about the oldest daughter. But when an officer comes and takes their father away, how far will Elsa and Anna go to find him and bring him home?
1. Chapter 1

**The year is 1941 and Germany has occupied Norway. A well known family is just trying to avoid the war any way they can, while keeping a secret about the oldest daughter. But when an officer comes and arrests their father, how far will Elsa and Anna go to find him and bring him home? (This story is meant to be a romanticized adventure about love and family, because obviously Nazi occupied territories underwent unspeakable atrocities and I just don't do well writing dark stories.) Also, I'm not familiar with Norwegian culture so I apologize in advance if you are Norwegian. I hope you enjoy my second story. :) Please leave a review.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or any of the characters.**

The snow was thick and the wind was strong as the man walked through the streets of Arendelle. The sun was low as another November day was drawing to a close. Agdar was returning home to his family after another day of work. His family was well known in the city for their business and involvement in the community, that was before the invasion though.

The Germans came a year earlier and wasted no time making themselves at home in their beautiful city. It seemed like there were soldiers on every street, all armed to the teeth. Guard towers and machine gun posts were on every road leaving town and soldiers with attack dogs patrolled the forest. Despite the beauty of the city with it's bordering mountains and ocean, it had fallen under a dark shadow.

Agdar's business had been shipping but since the occupation, he couldn't send out a piece of silverware without inspection or taxation. His profits were enough to support his family, pay his workforce fairly, and keep the business running so he was grateful for that.

He finally reached his family's home near the edge of the city and entered through his front door. He was immediately greeted by his two daughters as they sat in their warm living room reading.

His oldest daughter, Elsa, was now 21 years of age and was studying to take a ranking place in the family business. It wasn't common for a woman to have such a place of authority but Elsa wasn't an ordinary woman. She had a secret. She had the power create ice and snow at her will. Her parents discovered this power early in her life but knew it had to be kept a secret for her own safety. If Elsa and Anna wanted to play, their father would miss work for the day to take them into the forest where they could play their little hearts out and not have to worry about someone discovering them. Their mother had passed away from pneumonia when they were young so Agdar had to put his daughters before his work. This routine continued into their teenage years. However, since the Germans came; her father had told her that under no circumstances was she to use her powers. For the last year, he'd remind her often. 'Conceal, don't feel.'

Her little sister, Anna, was a social butterfly and could make friends out of the most bitter people. For obvious reasons, she avoided the soldiers. She had just turned 18 and several of the young men in town were trying for her attention. She was very involved with the community and all of the children loved her. On Sundays, she would teach the children in church and often organized family events. Since the occupation though, it seemed like everything in the city went dormant like a bear hibernating in winter.

The girls got up and hugged their father as he removed his coat. Anna spoke up first. "How was work?"

He replied as he pulled his two girls into a hug. "Another shipment was delayed for inspection. It'll probably take a few days for them to get through it."

Elsa spoke next. "I'm sorry dad, we'll figure it out."

Agdar smiled with pride at his beautiful daughters, always trying to help. "This war can't last forever. Don't worry about it Snowflake."

 _That was his nickname for Elsa, which she liked._

He walked into the living room and the girls piled into the kitchen while Agdar sat in his chair to the side of the fireplace with a newspaper. It wasn't long before the girls had prepared dinner and they all sat at the table. They said grace and began eating.

Agdar broke the silence after a few minutes. "How was school Anna?"

"The usual. The dance is next week but I'm not sure if I want to go."

Elsa looked at her sister. "Why not? I'm sure at least one guy has asked you to go."

"Some have, but I'm just not sure. I found out yesterday that a squad of soldiers will be there. The teacher told us they would be there for security but I know they'd just be there to keep an eye on us."

Elsa frowned a little. "What are they afraid a bunch of high school seniors are going to do?"

Anna shook her head. "I don't know, it's ridiculous."

Things had changed so much in the last year. Any public gathering would have soldiers standing around with submachine guns and rifles, so naturally it took away from what was supposed to be a fun occasion. "So Elsa, how was your day?"

Elsa half smiled. "It was okay. I met with Gerda for lunch in town. She's expecting Kai to propose soon." Anna squeeled and bounced in her seat. "Finally! That's great! Think she'll ask you to be her maid of honor?" Elsa shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe."

Agdar smiled. He could tell from the way Elsa just seemed half excited for her friend, she wished she had someone. "It would make sense, you are her best friend." It had been difficult for Elsa. She was very beautiful but when she was younger she'd been bullied pretty badly for her unusually pale skin and blonde hair and it made less outgoing as she got older. There were men interested in her but she hadn't met anyone that interested her, and so she mostly kept to herself.

They carried on their conversation for a few more minutes until they were done with dinner. They cleaned their plates and sat in the living room near the warm fire reading. Elsa was reading a book about taxes and loans, Anna was reading a love story, and Agdar had his newspaper. It wasn't long before they all told each other goodnight and went to their rooms for the evening. This had been a routine for the last few months. Sometimes they would go out in the afternoons and spend time with friends but the Germans had put a curfew in place because of the resistance in the area.

The next day came with a fresh blanket of snow on the ground and a nice Saturday sunrise. Elsa was up first followed by Agdar.

They sat and drank coffee in the living room talking about the business. "Why do the Germans keep stopping the shipments? We're only shipping food into the other cities. It shouldn't be a cause for alarm."

"Elsa, they're cautious of everything from smugglers to resistance fighters. They inventory everything when I send it, and when it gets there. If a lot of the supplies are missing, they get suspicious."

"Its been a year. Don't they have a war to fight?"

"Yes they do, but they've already won it here. So until the British or the Russians come, the Germans aren't going anywhere."

Elsa looked up from her coffee. "Anything interesting in the newspaper?"

Agdar unfolded the paper in his lap and scanned the articles. "Well it's difficult sometimes to tell whether what you're reading is true or just propaganda. The British have been launching air raids over Berlin and some other German cities. There's heavy fighting in North Africa, and near Moscow. The rest is probably just fabricated information, it basically says the Germans are advancing on all fronts. I know for a fact the German advance has been stopped cold near Moscow and the British are counterattacking in Africa."

Elsa raised a suspicious eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

Agdar realized he'd said too much and just pretended like he didn't hear her question by focusing on his newspaper. He was afraid she'd ask again but they both heard a loud yawn from the hallway. Anna was up.

She walked into the living room and Agdar spoke, hoping to avert Elsa's attention. "Good morning Sorcha."

 _Sorcha was Agdar's nickname for Anna. He'd heard it somewhere in Ireland during his travels before the girls were born. It means 'shining light' or 'brightness'._ _However, he'd decided to not tell her that._

"Good morning Dad, Elsa. When are you going to tell me what that means?"

Agdar just smiled. "If you read enough books, you'll eventually find out." Elsa knew what it meant but she didn't let Anna know that for fear of being tortured until she would tell her.

"Why can't I have a cute nickname like Elsa? You call her Snowflake but Sorcha sounds like the name of an old hag!"

Agdar frowned a little but inside he was laughing. "If you knew what it meant, you'd like it."

"Why don't you call Elsa some silly nickname like that?"

Agdar couldn't hold back and let out a laugh at Anna's usual reluctance to accept her nickname. "Because she reads so much, she'd find it in no time."

Anna let out a loud sigh before lazily walking to the kitchen and returning a couple minutes later with a hot cup of coffee. Elsa had an evil thought pass through her mind. Anna sat beside her on the couch and she lifted the cup to get a good whiff of the caffeinated goodness. She smiled and went to place it on her lips for a sip. The second it touched her lips, Elsa wiggled her fingers a little without anyone noticing, turning Anna's steamy hot coffee into ice cold coffee. She took a sip and nearly spat it out the instant it touched her tongue. She immediately looked at Elsa with rage in her eyes but couldn't say anything because of the ice cold liquid in her mouth. Elsa just sat there innocently reading and playing with her braid like she had no idea what had happened. Anna swallowed her coffee with a shiver before narrowing her eyes on her sister.

"Elsa! That's not funny!"

Agdar looked up confused. "She's just reading."

Anna looked around the house before looking back to her dad and spoke in a loud whisper. "She used the magic to freeze my coffee!"

Agdar looked to Elsa and she wasn't looking so innocent anymore, she looked like she knew she was in trouble. She knew Anna would get angry from the prank but she didn't expect her to snitch. "Elsa, what have I told you?"

Elsa let out a sigh. "Conceal, don't feel."

Agdar nodded and looked to Anna. "Don't worry, there's more coffee in the kitchen." Anna huffed and got up to get some fresh coffee.

When she left the room, Agdar got up from his chair, walked over to the couch and kneeled in front of Elsa. She looked at him with silence.

He spoke quietly. "Elsa, I know you like to use your powers, but you can't be using them like that."

"Dad, it was just a harmless prank."

"I know, but it only takes one mistake for the wrong person to learn your secret. We have to be even more careful with all these soldiers around. I don't-... I don't want to imagine what would happen if the Germans learned what you can do..."

Elsa realized her father wasn't angry, he was worried for her and Anna's safety.

"I promise I won't use my powers anymore until its safe."

Agdar smiled softly. "Thank you Elsa, but be careful with promises. They can easily be made without a full understanding of what's being promised. A day may come when you have no choice but to use your powers. If that day comes; I want you to promise me not that you won't use your powers, but that you'll do whatever it takes to protect yourself and your sister."

Elsa thought on what he was asking of her for a few seconds before nodding. "I promise." Agdar hugged his oldest daughter and silently prayed that day would never come.

 **That night at Arendelle harbor...**

"Standartenfuhrer, we've found something you should see."

The officer got up from his desk and grabbed his hat. "This better be good, Sturmmann."

The Lance Corporal led the Colonel out of the dimly lit office down one of the docks and onto a nearby ship. They then proceeded down to the cargo hold. There were four other soldiers already down there with an open crate before them.

The officer with an ugly line scar on the left side of his face walked to the crate and peered at the contents inside. "Open the others." Two of the soldiers each opened a crate and the contents were the same as the first crate.

The officer narrowed his eyes and slowly nodded. "Looks like we'll have to pay Herr Agdar a visit."


	2. Chapter 2

**I was really surprised at the response I got from the first chapter! vinzgirl and Ribbonsandchocolate, thank you for your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying it! And thanks to everyone that's following this story :) And Dislike canon (Guest), thanks for the review but technically they're not orphans. They still have their father around and I had actually written this out with the mother in it but I went back and changed it because I just couldn't figure out how to incorporate her into what I had planned for this story in the future. So I didn't want to do it, but there wasn't really another way to take her out of the story. (Note: I'll probably include some flashbacks later of some memories that the girls have with their mom just to add some dynamic to their relationship as a family. I hate to just leave it at the one sentence I mention about her in the first chapter.)**

 **Anyway, here we go! Please leave a review of what you think. As always enjoy, and I don't own anything!**

Elsa and Anna had left to go to the market that day to just spend a nice Saturday morning out of the house. Their father had stayed at home to do some paperwork. They walked past the stands and spoke to several people they knew.

They stopped at the butcher's stand for some meat. Elsa and Anna to the large man that had his back to them. "Good morning Oaken!"

The large man turned around and his face lit up into a smile. He spoke with a cheery accent. "Good day ladies. Where is your father?"

"He's working. How's your wife?"

"She's well, thank you for asking. Would you like the usual?"

"Yes please." They exchanged the money for the bag of beef and spoke to Oaken for a couple more minutes before leaving him to his work.

They walked through the market for another hour, purchasing enough food to last them a couple weeks. They were heading back home and got to a quiet street.

Anna figured it was as good a time as any. "I'm sorry I told on you this morning."

Elsa chuckled. "Well in your defense, I froze your coffee."

Anna looked around to make sure they were completely alone. "How long has it been since you used your... magic?"

She barely said the last word above a whisper and Elsa responded at almost the same volume. "A few weeks. I'll make an occational snowflake when I'm alone in my room."

Anna looked with sympathy at her sister and placed a comforting hand on her upper arm. "You'll be able to use it again one day, just like when we were kids."

Elsa smiled at her sister's encouragement and at the thought of being able to run and play in the snow like they used to. "It's okay Anna. One day we'll play in the snow again, I promise." They shared a smile before continuing the rest of the way home.

They arrived back home in the early afternoon and found their father right where they left him doing his work. They stored the food away in the cellar and when they got back, Agdar was grabbing his coat off the chair.

Agdar was happy to see them both back, but he needed a break from the paperwork. "Would anyone like to go out for tea and maybe some chocolate?"

Both girls were quick to answer with excited nods and big smiles. These were the moments Agdar cherished. They grabbed their coats and left the house.

They walked half a block before Agdar spoke. "Did you see Oaken?"

"Yes, he said his wife 'is doing well'." Anna tried to immitate Oaken's accent but it came out a broken mess.

Agdar and Elsa laughed. "Be glad he didn't hear that. I'm glad to hear his wife's doing good. I forgot, how far along is she?"

Elsa spoke up. "7 months if I'm not mistaken."

Agdar raised his eyebrows. "My goodness, we should stop by and offer our help if they need it. Preparing for a baby is a lot of work. Oaken is strong but every man has a limit."

Anna smiled brightly. "Yes we should! That's a great idea!"

Ever since things slowed down in Arendelle, Anna had been looking for something, anything, to occupy her time. They arrived at the shop a couple blocks from their home and they all knew what they wanted. They'd been coming here for years and the owners knew their family well. They had a nice patio with a roof to keep the snow off. The tables and chairs were well kept and despite being outside in November, the owner kept it rather warm with a fire pit in the center. Agdar spotted the owner at the end of the patio and spoke.

"Hello Fredrick." "Good day Agdar, Ladies."

The older man came walking up to their table with a bright smile. He spoke their order before any of them could tell him what they wanted. "One herbal and two peppermint teas, and will we be having some of Mrs. Larsen's chocolate today?" He already knew the answer.

He'd watched them grow up over the years and he was proud of the young ladies they were becoming. He also knew to keep some of his wife's chocolate around in case they came by.

They looked back at him with excited smiles and Anna spoke for Elsa and herself. "Yes Mr. Larsen, thank you." He nodded with his big smile. "Coming right up."

Within a few minutes the family was looking at three cups of tea and a plate of chocolate. Mr. Larsen had sat with them after getting himself a cup of coffee. "How's the business Agdar?" "It's keeping me busy. I actually came here because I needed a break." "Oh, I see. So, it wasn't because you wanted to visit me." They all laughed.

The two men had been friends over the years and Fredrick Larsen was the closest thing to an older brother that Agdar had. The girls used to call him 'Uncle Larsen' when they were younger, and since they were older now; they were more formal with his name.

He was also the preacher of the church they all attend. Fredrick and Agdar stirred up a conversation about business but the girls only paid attention to half of what was said as they were too focused on the delicious, sweet chocolate and the hot tea. "Will I be seeing you all in church tomorrow?" The girls smiled and nodded.

They liked to hear him preach on Sundays and Wednesday nights. He talked often of the importance of love and compassion, especially in these hard times. He was friendly to everyone, even the Germans. Three of the soldiers would come on Sundays when they were off duty and although it made everyone else a little uncomfortable at first, Mr. Larsen was quick to remind them "Jesus Christ is for everyone." After a few weeks, people began to treat them friendly like they would treat anyone else and they soon found out they were just ordinary men that served a bad cause. At first, people whispered among themselves that Mr. Larsen was a sympathizer, but they came to realize that he was a man trying his best to lead the lost to Christ. He didn't care about their nationality, only their souls.

The girls finished their chocolate quicker than they expected while their father spoke to Fredrick. They were all caught up in conversation and pretty soon they'd all finished their tea as the sun was about to set. How long had they been here?

They paid for their tea and chocolate, and Mr. Larsen hugged them all before telling them goodnight.

They made the walk back to their home quickly and got a fire going in the fireplace.

It was freshly dark and they were all gathering in the living room reading like they always did, then they heard a knock at the door. That was strange, considering it was past curfew.

Agdar got up and checked the peephole before turning to the girls. "Go upstairs."

Anna was curious. "Who is it?"

Agdar looked seriously at both of them. "Go upstairs now."

The girls didn't question any further. They were at the top of the stairs when he opened the door. Elsa caught a glimpse of a young man dressed in thick clothes that looked out of breath like he'd been running. She nearly bumped into Anna who'd stopped at the very top step. Elsa heard Agdar speak with a quiet, but serious tone.

"What are you doing here? In the kitchen now!"

The man entered and the girls heard Agdar close the door before quickly following the man into the kitchen. When they were sure Agdar was out of the living room, Anna took a step down being as quiet as she could, but Elsa grabbed her arm to stop her. She spoke in a whisper. "What are you doing?" "I just want to know who that is." Elsa would be lying if she said that she wasn't curious also. They both quietly walked halfway down the stairs before stopping to listen. They could hear their father speaking.

He sounded a little angry but was trying to stay quiet. "I don't care, I told you to never come here. You sure you weren't followed?"

"Yes, I'm sorry but it's important." "What is it?"

There was a pause. "Anders ordered us to load the stuff onto the ship."

Agdar spoke in a loud whisper. "Are you insane?! The Germans have been checking every shipment!" "We know, thats why we waited until they finished inspecting it before loading the crates. We didn't think it would get stopped again as it was departing."

"Why did you think I made Anders let me handle how this was done? He doesn't know anything about security! They pick shipments at random to double inspect in case of smugglers! You fools!"

The girls could hear footsteps that sounded like Agdar was pacing. "How long ago was this?" "A couple of hours."

"So there's no time to throw the crates overboard... Okay, get out of here. I'll handle it." "But Agdar, how are you-"

"Just go! You've already put my family in enough danger! This is how you thank me for trying to help that little band of freedom fighters you call a 'resistance'? Get out. Tell Anders that our little arrangment is finished and that I better not see him again."

The girls quietly made their way out of sight at the top of the stairs as the man came through the living room and exited out the front door. They walked back down and peeked into the kitchen to see their father sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Elsa broke the silence.

"Dad, what's going on?" Agdar looked up from his hands at his girls and he looked pale. Something had him scared.

"It's a long story..." Without saying a word, Anna and Elsa looked at each other before walking into the kitchen and sitting without taking their eyes off their father. He looked at each of them before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry girls. I messed up." "Dad tell us whats going on." He looked down at the table and finally spoke up after a few seconds.

"Six months ago, I was approached by a man named Anders. He knew of my business and offered me a deal. He said that if I helped him ship supplies to the resistance in the other areas of the country, he'd pay well and guarantee the protection of my business and family from the Allies and the Germans."

"Why would we need protection from the Allies? The Germans haven't bothered us and we haven't been helping them."

"He's the leader of the resistance in this area. He can tell the Allies whatever he wants, and they'd take his word. If he decides to lie and tell them that I'm shipping supplies for the Germans, they'd attack my ships. And if they come here one day, he could tell them that we're collaborators. I made the deal on the condition that I be in charge of how it's run because I know how the German security operates. Well he's been impatient over the last couple months, wanting to ship more supplies, more often but I kept telling him no. The German security was too thorough to risk any more than we already were. I've only been shipping food and medical supplies, but he's wanting to ship weapons now as well." Elsa was genuinely curious.

"How'd you get the supplies past the Germans?" "We stored them in hidden compartments under the engine room. The resistance would meet the ship off the coast, the crew would drop off the supplies and continue on." Anna spoke up for the first time.

"What are you going to do?" Agdar figured the girls had been listening in on his conversation.

"Anders doesn't know about the compartments so that fool probably put them in the cargo hold along with everything else. No doubt the Germans found it by now... If it's food or medicine, they may just assume it was an error in their first inspection. If it's weapons..." The room fell silent. Elsa figured they couldn't just sit there.

"What can we do?" Agdar immediately looked at her.

"You and Anna go pack some things. I'm sending you to Fredrick's until this gets sorted out." Anna cut in.

"No we're not going anywhere!" "The Germans are probably on their way. I don't want you two here."

"And how will it look when they get here and you've sent your daughters away? They'll just be even more inclined to arrest you. Maybe you can just blame this on smugglers."

Agdar thought on this. He honestly didn't know what he should do. Time certainly wasn't on his side, because there was a loud knock at the door. Agdar's eyes went wide.

"Elsa, take your sister and hide in the cellar. You know where to hide." Elsa nodded, grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her to the door at the back of the kitchen that led into the cellar.

"What did he mean you'd know where to hide?" Without answering, Elsa grabbed a shelf that sat against the back wall.

"Help me move this." Anna and Elsa pulled and it moved to reveal a room behind it that wasn't much bigger than a closet. Anna was surprised.

"Uhh, how long has this been here?" "Almost a year. Dad wanted us to have somewhere to hide in case of an emergency." They both stepped in and pulled the shelf closed behind them before sitting on the floor as silently as they could...

Agdar gave Elsa and Anna a minute to get downstairs before he took a deep breath and walked to the door. He opened it and wasn't surprised to find a German officer bearing the dreaded patch of the "SS". He was accompanied by three soldiers armed with submachine guns. He was around 5'10, an inch or so shorter than Agdar. He had this arrogance about him which didn't compliment the ugly scar line that ran from the outside of his left eye down to the middle of his cheek.

"Good evening Mr. Agdar. I am Colonel Hans, may we come in?" Agdar nodded and opened the door further. "Yes, come in." They walked in but one soldier stayed outside, Agdar assumed he was on guard.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?" Hans walked in and sat in the first chair he came to.

"No thank you, we just have some questions we'd like for you to answer." The two soldiers stood near the door clutching their weapons. Agdar sat in his usual chair a few feet from Hans.

"Of course. Is something wrong?" The officer never took his eyes off him. He seemed to be observing every possible detail about Agdar that he possibly could. "Could you explain to me why an unmarked crate of bandages and morphine were found during a random inspection of one of your ships that was set to depart today?" Agdar relaxed a little.

"We ship medical supplies to Oslo every few weeks. Was it not accounted for in the first inspection yesterday?"

"No it wasn't."

Hans didn't avert his gaze at all from the man sitting across from him. "I understand you have two daughters. Are they here by any chance?" Agdar shook his head.

"No. They said they were going to a friend's house before curfew started." "Then you won't mind if my men take a look around?"

Agdar knew that was more of a statement than a request for permission. "No, of course not." The soldiers split up. One went into the kitchen and the other went upstairs. All Agdar could do was listen to them dig through the house. He kept as calm as he could as he heard the soldier open the door to the cellar because he knew Hans was watching him.

Elsa and Anna heard the door open and figured it was their father but something was wrong. All they heard was heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Elsa then realized it wasn't their father. Whoever it was started walking around the cellar and they could hear him moving some things around. He eventually got to the shelf that concealed them, but he continued past it. He moved a few more things around before walking back up the stairs. Both girls let out the breath they were holding.

Both soldiers returned a few minutes later. Hans finally looked away from Agdar for probably the first time since he entered his house. He looked at the soldiers and they both nodded their heads indicating they hadn't found anything. "Alright. Thank you for your time Mr. Agdar."

The officer stood from his chair and extended his hand to shake Agdar's. Figuring he was in the clear; Agdar stood from his chair and as much as he didn't want to do it, he shook the officer's hand. After a few seconds, Agdar tried to let go but Hans held on. He was giving Agdar that cold, calculating look he'd been giving him for the last ten minutes.

"There's just one more matter we need to discuss. I noticed when I mentioned that we found bandages and morphine, you seemed to relax. Also, you didn't seem very surprised at our sudden arrival here. Almost like you knew we had found something but you expected it to be something else. Perhaps three crates of rifles and explosives?"

To say Agdar was shocked would be an understatement. As much as he wanted to remain calm, he almost felt himself get pale in the face. He wasn't expecting this. "Wh- What are you talking about?"

Hans put on an evil looking smirk before he glanced to the soldiers. "Arrest him." Immediately the soldiers seized Agdar by the shoulders and within seconds, his hands were tied.

"We should go to my office for a little talk." He motioned for the soldiers to bring him. They led him out the door and loaded into a nearby truck. Hans rode up front while a soldier drove. The other two were in the back with Agdar.

Within ten minutes they were at the docks and Agdar was pulled from the truck. As they led him along the sidewalk he heard Hans say to one of the soldiers. "Go get Sgt. Borman and track down close associates of Mr. Agdar. Find the girls." Agdar thought he felt his heart stop when he heard that. His girls were going to be hunted now. He silently started praying they would be able to find a safe place.

They entered an old building that had been turned into a command post by the look of it. The soldiers led Agdar into a room and sat him in a chair in front of the desk. Hans took the seat behind the desk before leaning forward and bringing his hands together.

"Now, here's where we stand: we have found 3 crates on your ship filled with weapons but there could possibly be more. Tell me, if you weren't the one who orchestrated this, then who was?" Agdar was quick to defend himself. "I don't know. I've been in this business for twenty years and I've never had a smuggling problem like this before." Hans nodded.

"Well we should be finished going through everything before sunrise so you have until then to tell me who put these weapons on your ship. If you still 'don't know', then I can send you to prison for withholding information. Your daughters can go to work in the factories until they die of exhaustion."

At hearing someone threaten his family, Agdar snapped. He stood up and swung with everything he had. Hans flew back in his chair and Agdar could hear the guards behind him clicking the safeties on their weapons. Hans grabbed his now bleeding jaw and stood to glare at Agdar.

"I should have you shot!"

Agdar glared right back at him but with a hint of a smirk. "Go ahead and kill me. At least my girls are safe."

Agdar wasn't afraid to die, he'd made his peace with the Lord. Hans narrowed his eyes. "We will find them."

Agdar knew they had enough friends in the city that his daughters had plenty of people to turn to, and he was going to trust God to watch out for his family. "Put him in a cell." The soldiers lowered their weapons before grabbing Agdar by the shoulder and pulling him out of the room and downstairs to a small cell with an old pillow and a dirty blanket. He sat down and the soldiers left him after locking the door. He immediately started praying for Elsa and Anna, wherever they were.

"I think they're gone." "Lets wait a few more minutes." "We've been crammed in here for an hour. Dad should've came for us by now." "I know... Fine, lets go."

Elsa and Anna pushed on the shelf and it slid out of the way. They dusted themselves off and slowly made their way up the stairs. The got to the top and the house looked empty. Anna's voice was the only sound. "Dad?" No response.

The fire had almost burned out so the house was almost completely dark. Anna was worried, she spoke louder. "Dad?!" Elsa turned to her sister. "Shhh."

Within minutes, they'd checked the entire house. There was no way to deny it, their father was gone. "Do you think the Germans took him?" Elsa didn't want to worry her sister even more but right now she couldn't think of any other explanation. "I'm afraid so Anna..." Anna started to panic a little. "Oh gosh! What do we do?"

Elsa grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "We can start by not losing our heads. Now dad was going to send us to the Larsen's house. I say we go there until we can figure out what to do next." Anna took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "Ok. Lets get some things together."

Twenty minutes later, the girls each had a case of clothes and a large bag of food. They took one last look around the house with the last bit of light being put off by the fire. "Think we'll be able to come back soon?" Elsa put a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "I don't know Anna, but we're not coming back without Dad." "Of course not."

Elsa turned to the door before slowly opening it to check if the streets were clear. "It's clear, c'mon." They moved across the street and began walking, staying close to the walls. After about five minutes, a car could be heard coming. Elsa spoke in an urgent whisper. "In the alley!" Both girls ducked into an alley as a truck full of soldiers passed. They decided it'd probably be safer to take the alleys.

Within a half hour, they were standing in front of the Larsen's home. Only one light was visible from the first floor. They hoped that meant at least someone was awake. They walked to the door and knocked rather anxiously, wanting to get off the open street. Footsteps could be heard before the door opened, revealing Mr Larsen. He didn't look surprised to see them and he spoke first . "C'mon, get in here!"

He stepped aside and they came in before he checked the street and shut the door. "The Germans are looking for you girls." Elsa was confused. "What do you mean?" He motioned for them to follow him into the kitchen; probably to get away from the windows.

"A Sergent came by here about a half hour ago with an entire squad. He said your father was arrested and they were looking for you. They checked the house, thankfully you weren't here." Anna noticed the way he spoke. He was surprisingly calm.

"Did you know what our father was doing?" "Yes. When that resistance leader came to him with the offer, he came to me because he didn't know what to do. He knew that no matter what choice he made, he'd be putting both of you in danger. So your father made a hard choice. What happened? How'd he get caught?" Elsa answered him.

"The resistance leader had his men load some cargo onto one of our ships without our father's knowing and the Germans found it."

"Oh my Lord... Okay, first we need to get in contact with the resistance. Second, we need to find out where they have your father."

"Well what do you want us to do?"

"Nothing, I'll find them. As of tonight, you two are fugitives from the Germans. You need to stay out of sight until things calm down some." Anna spoke. "We can't just sit around and do no-" Elsa interrupted her.

"That's exactly what we're going to do." Anna looked at her with shock.

"Anna, we'd do more harm than good if we try to help."

Fredrick was glad at least one of the girls agreed with him. "Thank you Elsa. I doubt the Germans will search the same place twice, at least for a while. You can stay in the guest bedroom upstairs." He led the girls up the stairs to the room that had two beds.

"Make yourselves at home. Goodnight girls, I'm glad you're both okay." "Thank you Mr Larsen." He nodded and walked down the hall to his and his wife's room and shut the door behind him.

The girls changed into some night clothes they had packed. They hadn't said a word to each other. Anna was irritated that Elsa didn't want to do anything. She finally needed to know why.

"Elsa, why don't you want to try to find Dad?"

"I never said that, did I? I said we need to let things settle down. In a few days the Germans will probably think we left the city. There aren't any pictures of us so I doubt they know what we look like. They're probably just looking for two girls around the same age that favor each other. Separately, we might be able to move around more freely. In the meantime, the best thing we can do for Dad is not get caught."

Anna couldn't help but agree with her logic. "Don't worry Anna, we'll find him." Elsa hugged her sister before they both got into their beds.

"Goodnight, Elsa."

"Goodnight Sorcha."

Elsa heard a loud huff in the darkness and chuckled at her sister's frustration. She didn't know what tomorrow held for her or her family but she knew they'd face it together and no matter what, they would find their father. After this is over, things will probably never be the way they were before but as she was about to give in to sleep, she remembered a verse she read in her Bible. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

 **So this chapter was pretty long. I started typing and it took me this long to find a good stopping point. Things are picking up between school and everything I'm involved in from church to college organizations. That being said, it'll be a while before I update... But just know that I WILL EVENTUALLY UPDATE. I'm not going to be that guy that has a huge buildup in a story and then just drop it like a bad habit. Also, I have another verse for you. "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor 13:13) That being said, I want to thank every single one of you for sticking with me so far through this story and I love every one of you! Have a great day! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I can't believe it's been over a month since I updated, time really flies. Things have been crazy with school but I want to thank everyone that's been patient. This chapter introduces a new character. As you read, keep this in mind: The thing that happens with history and even today is when someone is involved with a organization or group (especially a bad one), we tend to forget that they're also people. We shouldn't be so quick to look at the flaws in people. We have our flaws too, their's may just be different from ours. Jesus told us to "love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you." Be quick to show compassion and love, and you'll be amazed at the difference that makes. As always, enjoy! :)**

"Luc, I just need to know where he is."

The younger man looked around to make sure nobody could hear them talking.

"Mr. Larsen, I'm not supposed to be talking about this. I could get court martialed."

Fredrick had waited until after church before he pulled the off duty soldier to the side to speak in private. He was taking a big risk but Luc was his best chance at finding Agdar.

Luc Gottschalk had been attending church for the last few months and he'd really gotten involved. He had a good heart, but some were still reluctant to accept him because of the Wehrmacht uniform he wore during the week. He was a young man of 22, standing at 6 feet tall with dark black hair, and green eyes. He'd been conscripted into service almost a year earlier and was stationed in Arendelle for the last eight months. He wore the uniform but there was something about him that was different from the other soldiers. He was very much involved in church and the local community. Some nights, he would anonymously leave rations at the church to redistribute to families that struggled to feed their children, or use an off day to help repair homes damaged in storms, and he never sought recognition.

Now Fredrick was taking a risk in talking to him.

"Son, Agdar is my best friend. I need to know that he's alright." Luc let out a sigh.

"Colonel Hans took him to the docks last night. I heard from Sargent Karl that Mr Agdar punched the Colonel after he threatened his family. Assaulting an officer is grounds enough for imprisonment but I think the Colonel is more interested in the smuggling. They'll have a private hearing some time this week to decide his punishment."

"But I know Agdar. He didn't do it." Which was true. Although Agdar had been smuggling, he had nothing to do with the weapons he'd been arrested for.

"He's a good man. I believe you, but the officers aren't going to take a Corporal and a Pastor's word. We'd need evidence or at least a different suspect."

Fredrick looked curiously at Luc. He could hear the way he said 'We'. "Are you offering to help?"

Agdar had been one of the first to welcome Luc into the church so of course he would want to help. The only time Luc ever saw Agdar or his family was in church but that was enough for a friendship.

Luc ran his hand through his hair. "Yes. Tonight I'm supposed to be stationed near the command post. I could get a message to Mr Agdar if you want."

"Thank you Luc. Just tell him we're going to figure this out and that I don't know where Elsa and Anna are, but I'll take care of Sorcha and Snowflake."

"Sorcha and Snowflake?" "Yeah, Agdar raised them both since they were pups. They really miss him."

Technically, Fredrick wasn't lying. It wasn't his fault if Luc assumed "pups" meant "dogs".

Luc nodded and started to walk away but suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. "When you see Elsa and Anna, tell them to stay out of sight for a while. The search will die down in a few days. The Colonel can't spare the resources to keep looking."

Fredrick narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean 'When'?"

Luc softly smiled. "Agdar is my friend too, and I know he doesn't have any pets. I understand your hesitation to trust me. I'll deliver your message."

With that, he walked away. Fredrick was both frightened that he knew he was hiding the girls but at the same time, he felt he could trust Luc.

Fredrick went straight home where he found his wife and his two new guests all working around the house. The girls insisted that morning on helping his wife take care of the house and she wasn't about to complain about having help so it worked out. He went straight to the girls.

"We may have a small problem..."

After the night they'd had, that was the last thing they wanted to hear. His wife answered first. "Oh dear, what have you done?"

They immediately stopped what they were doing and he had their complete attention. "Luc might know that you're hiding here."

Anna narrowed her eyes and spoke at the same time Elsa brought her hand to her mouth in shock. "Who?" Elsa looked at her sister. "The soldier from church." Anna's eyes went wide with fear. "Oh gosh..."

Fredrick knew he had to calm them down. "I just pulled him aside and asked if he knew where your father was. He told me and said that he could take a message to him." Anna was curious. "How'd he figure out that we were here?"

Fredrick scratched the back of his head. "I told him to pass along to Agdar that I didn't know where you two were, but that I would take care of Snowflake and Sorcha. Apparently he knows your family well enough to know that you don't have any pets."

At this point Anna was standing next to her sister, eyes still wide. "He said to tell you both to stay out of sight. The officer that took your father can't spare the resources to keep searching for more than a few days."

Anna was surprised but Elsa seemed like she was in deep thought. She spoke after a few silent seconds. "Do you think we can trust him?" Anna looked wide eyed at her sister. "He's a soldier Elsa!"

Without taking her eyes off Fredrick she waved her hand at Anna, wordlessly telling her to be quiet. "Yes, he seems like a good man and he agreed to deliver the message to your father. He also said the Colonel that arrested your father is a man named Hans. He took your father to the docks last night, where your father hit him after he threatened you two."

Elsa and Anna both gasped. "What are they going to do?"

"Luc said they would have a private meeting this week to decide what they'd do with him. I know someone with the resistance. I may be able to convince him to break Agdar out."

Elsa jumped in. "No! Nobody is getting hurt, we'll figure something else out!"

"Elsa, we've only got this week to get him out. If they don't throw him in prison for smuggling, they'll just get him for assaulting an officer. Either way, there's no legal way for him to get out of this."

Elsa didn't know what to say. Then she had an idea. Not a great idea, but it was an idea.

"Okay, who do you know in the resistance?" "A young man I've known for a few years. He's around Anna's age."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Do I know him from school?" "No, you wouldn't. He doesn't go to school. He lives in the mountains but he's in town. I'll meet with him tomorrow."

Elsa just needed tonight. "Okay, see what he can do."

Anna was looking at her sister. Something was off. Why'd she give in so easily? "I will. Don't worry girls, we'll get him out. There is also another matter... Once he's free, you'll all have to leave Arendelle."

The girls already knew this but hadn't really discussed it. They were too focused on freeing their father. Elsa was the only one with a plan, but she wasn't about to share it.

They went through the rest of the day busy around the house but didn't stay near the windows for too long. That afternoon they all sat down for dinner and tea. "Thank you ladies for helping me today."

The girls both smiled and Anna spoke. "You're welcome Mrs. Larsen. We'll be happy to help some more tomorrow."

 _We may not be here tomorrow._ The thought passed through Elsa's mind before she could stop it. In that moment, she realized that it wasn't just her or her father's life that was at stake. Anna, Mr  & Mrs. Larsen would also be in harm's way if her plan didn't work.

A while later, they all went to bed and while Anna wasn't looking, Elsa sat some clothes with some boots near her bed. It was supposed to be pretty cold tonight so she wanted to be prepared.

She laid in bed for about an hour and a half until she was sure Anna was asleep. When she heard her sister's breathing even out into a steady rhythm, she knew it was time. She slowly and quietly climbed out of bed and into the clothes she'd put out and slipped into her boots.

She looked at her sister one more time and she whispered. "I'm sorry Anna, but I have to do this."

Their father was one of the few people she had left in this world and she wasn't about to lose him. She exited their room and made her way down the stairs to the front door. She opened it and checked the darkened street before slipping out the door and closing it a little louder than she'd hoped to.

The street was lit by a few lights so it wasn't completely dark. She ran to a nearby alley for cover. She knew where the docks were and that it'd take a couple of hours to get there if she stuck to the alleys. She navigated her way from street to street and every once in a while she'd have to take cover from a passing vehicle or patrol.

Two and a half hours had passed before Elsa stood next to a few trash cans in an alley facing the docks. She observed all that was in front of her. There was one gate with two guards and a ten foot fence surrounded the entire area. There appeared to be one guard patrolling the fence with a dog. There were several buildings but one in particular had large banners on it with several cars parked in front. She assumed that was the command post. It had two floors and wasn't very large. If there were a lot of people inside, there was a good chance she'd get caught.

One problem at a time though.

She waited until the guard was around the corner before she sprinted across the street and quietly started climbing the fence. She froze the barbed wire at the top before she slipped over and landed on the other side. She quickly thawed the wire before taking cover between the buildings.

She made her way in the direction of the building while sticking to the shadows. She watched the building for a couple of minutes. She could see in most of the windows but at this time of night, only three were lit. She assumed if this was a place where they held prisoners, they probably kept them in the basement. Just as she stood to make her move, a hand grabbed her arm and another hand covered her mouth to silence her.

 **Earlier...**

The sound of a door closing woke her from her sleep. Her first thought was that someone might be breaking in. She spoke in a urgent whisper. "Elsa, did you hear that?"

No response. She got up before quickly making her way across the room. "Elsa?" She reached her sister's bed only to find it empty. Then the pieces fell into place and Elsa's behavior earlier that day made sense.

Anna let out a breath of frustration. "If dad doesn't kill you, I will."

As quick as she could but also quietly, she threw on some clothes and her boots. She'd hoped she had enough to keep warm. She made her way down the stairs before going out the door into the empty street. She knew her sister was smart and she had about a twenty minute head start.

She'd probably stick to the alleys but that would also slow her down. Anna figured she would take her chances on the street so she could make quicker time. An hour later, she was halfway to the docks. She kept getting slowed down by passing patrols and vehicles so she'd have to hide.

Finally, she decided to stick to the alley the rest of the way. Some time later she arrived at the docks. She could see a tall fence in front of her. She hoped Elsa wasn't already over it. She looked down the street and her hopes were crushed. She saw her sister climbing on the other side of the fence.

She was about to run to her but then she watched her thaw some ice on the top wires and ran behind some buildings. Anna spotted some trash cans nearby and started looking around them. Soon enough she found a thick blanket. It was dirty but she needed it. As she turned around she saw a guard tying a dog to a post a short distance down the fence. He then started walking directly toward the place where Elsa had ran to.

He soon disappeared out of sight. Sensing her sister was in trouble, she ran to the fence and threw the blanket over the wire and climbed over before pushing it off so nobody would see it.

As she moved between the buildings, she could hear some whispering voices in front of her. She rounded a corner and her blood went cold.

 **A couple minutes earlier...**

"Calm down Elsa, I'm not going to hurt you!" The man's voice was a loud whisper that sounded familiar.

At hearing her name, Elsa stopped swinging her fist and looked at the face of the person that had grabbed her. He was clearly a soldier but in the darkness she could barely see his face. "Luc?"

He looked around. "You shouldn't be here. You need to go."

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving without my father." "Your father isn't here." Her eyes went wide with fear.

Seeing this, Luc continued. "They moved his hearing up to this evening and he was found guilty. He was put on a ship earlier tonight heading for Germany. They're putting him to work in the factories at Oldenburg..."

Elsa couldn't breathe. Her father was on his way to Germany. Luc looked into her eyes with sympathy. "I'm sorry Elsa, I was going to call Mr Larsen and let him know what had happened but I hadn't had the chance yet. I was able to tell your father that you and Anna were safe with Mr Larsen."

Elsa looked him in the eye waiting for him to continue. "He said to tell you that no matter what, remember your promise to him and that he loves you both."

Now Elsa felt the tears running down her face. Luc didn't know what he could say to help her.

He could hear soldiers talking nearby. "C'mon, I'm getting you ou-" Before he could say anything else, a board came out of nowhere and hit him in the back of his head, knocking him to the ground.

He grabbed the spot where the wood had connected with his skull and groaned in pain.

Elsa looked up to see her sister holding a board and looking at her with anger. She whispered to her urgently. "Elsa lets go!" She looked down at Luc almost unconscious on the ground.

A second later, two soldiers came running around the corner and immediately spotted them. The girls turned to run but they found themselves facing two more guards. They were caught...

Anna dropped the board and stood as close as she could to her sister. The soldier they assumed was in charge looked at Luc, who was now getting up off the ground, then he turned to the other soldier that was with him.

"Go get the Colonel." He quickly ran away and Luc regained his senses and firstly realized it was Anna that hit him. _She hits hard..._

Then he saw the guards surrounding them and he knew the girls were in trouble. A minute later, a man the girls had never seen before came walking up to them. By this time, Anna was holding onto Elsa's arm as the soldiers surrounded them.

The man had a scar on his face and at first, he kept his eyes on Anna. He looked her up and down before a smirk appeared on his face. "Well, it seems I won't have to track you two down after all. I assume you're here for your father, but you're a little late. He is on his way to serve the Fatherland."

He looked to one of the soldiers. "Put them in the cell."

Then he looked at Luc. "Corporal, I can't believe you let a little girl get the better of you with a piece of wood. I expect you'll have some form of punishment for your negligence."

Without waiting for a reply he turned and walked away. The girls were led into the building as Luc was led to the infirmary to get checked. Elsa made eye contact with him just as they entered the building.

They were taken down to the basement where they were put in a small cell with a dirty blanket and pillow. The guards shut the door and left the room. Elsa spoke to Anna for the first time since her plan went sideways. "Why'd you follow me?"

Anna now looked angry. "Because I was going to stop you from doing something stupid. And now we've been caught and who knows where dad is..."

"He's on a ship heading for Oldenburg." "How do you know that?"

"Luc told me before you clobbered him over the head."

"That was Luc? I saw a soldier holding your arm and I just grabbed the first thing I saw."

Elsa sat on the floor with her back against the cell wall. Anna sat against the opposite wall. "So what do we do now?"

Elsa began to whisper. "When things settle down a little, I'll freeze the lock on the door and we'll break out of here."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Great idea. Then we'll be in a compound surrounded by soldiers, in a city occupied by an army... I'm not liking our chances too much sis..."

Elsa had to admit, it didn't look good; but she had to keep her promise to her father and protect her sister. "Well do you have a better idea?"

Anna thought for a moment before shaking her head. "For lack of a better idea, I suppose we'll go with yours." Elsa nodded and laid her head back. There was no point in worrying so she might as well get comfortable.

 **Meanwhile...**

"Operator, put me through to Fredrick Larsen please... Yes, I know what time it is. Put me through please, it's an emergency."

The line rang for a few seconds before a click was heard on the other end. A half asleep voice spoke. "Hello?"

"Mr. Larsen, it's Luc." "Son, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's important!" Luc decided to choose his words carefully. You never know who's listening. "Snowflake and Sorcha somehow got out of your house tonight and the little pups found a way into my backyard but we caught them. We're keeping them in a pen downstairs. Do you think you could get someone to come get them?"

There was silence on the other end for a couple seconds. "I might know someone that could come by. Think you could leave the door unlocked for them?"

"Yes sir, as long as they're trustworthy." "Thank you Luc. Take care son."

"Of course sir." With that, Luc hung up the phone before slipping out of the doctor's office and back into the infirmary. The doctor had left a half hour ago after wrapping his head in a bandage. He figured now was his best chance to let Fredrick know that the girls had been caught.

Now he had to return to his patrol. There had to be a way to allow someone to get in and back out of the dockyard.

Fredrick hung up the phone and he immediately picked it back up. He was terrified to the point his hand was shaking. He had so many unanswered questions but he had to focus on helping Elsa and Anna. "Operator, get me room 238 of the Clarity Hotel please... Thank you."

The line rang for a few seconds before a tired voice answered. "Yes?" "Kristoff, it's Fredrick. I need your help right now."

 **A few hours later...**

The hours seemed to tick by slowly. Elsa couldn't tell how long they'd been here. She sat there pondering what they were going to do after they broke out. Maybe they could try slipping over the fence again, or maybe take one of the cars. Most likely the former.

It'd be better if the Germans didn't know that they had escaped right away, at least they'd have some time to put some distance between them and the Germans. Obviously they'd have to leave the city. They would turn it upside down looking for them. It'd probably be best to go back to Mr. Larsen's and see if his friend would take them out of the city.

A sound pulled her from her thoughts. It was a slight rattling sound. She turned to the door and after a few seconds, the knob turned and it opened. A tall blonde man that looked not a day over 19 stood in the doorway. He clearly wasn't a soldier, he wasn't in a uniform. He looked at her. "Are you Anna?"

At hearing her name, Anna started to stir from her sleep. When had she fallen asleep? And how did this man know her sister's name? "I'm Elsa. Who are you?"

He nodded and then Elsa noticed a large ring of what looked like 20 keys in his hand. Anna was now standing and looking at the man as he went to the cell door and started trying keys on the door. "Kristoff. Fredrick sent me. He said I was supposed to get your father too while I'm here."

"Our father isn't here. He was put on a ship last night." Kristoff only looked at her for a second before attempting another key.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He started to get frustrated until the seventh key finally worked.

"Stay close." They slowly followed him up the stairs as he crept to the door at the top. He cracked the door as two soldiers walked by.

He kept it almost shut until they were around the corner. He waved a hand behind him signaling them to follow. They entered the hallway and shut the door behind them. The halls were barely lit, as it was early in the morning.

They made it to the front doors with no trouble and wasted no time exiting the building and moving to the shadows of the opposite building. "How'd you get in here?"

"You two have a friend around here somewhere. I found a spot where the fence had been cut with a note tied to the wire." He handed Elsa a small piece of paper and she unfolded it.

 _The two story building with the large banners._

 _Keys are in the desk by the front door. The cell_

 _is in the basement. No guards should be_

 _patrolling this section of the fence so you can_

 _leave this way. Get them out before sunrise._

 _Be safe and God bless._

Luc, it had to be him. Who else could it be? They made their way past the spot where the girls originally climbed over.

Another twenty yards and Elsa could see the spot where the fence had been cut. It was barely noticeable in the darkness unless you were actually looking for it. Kristoff pulled it open as the girls climbed through.

"Head for that alley." The girls crossed the street as Kristoff climbed through the fence and ran to catch up. Once they were all in the alley, he barely stopped long enough to tell them to follow him before leading the way.

They moved from street to street and within a couple of hours they were standing in front of the Larsen's home as the sun was barely touching the horizon. Both girls knew they'd get some stern words when they stepped into the house.

Kristoff looked to them with a smirk. "I think I'll let you go first. I don't want to be caught in the line of fire."

They opened the door and immediately spotted the Larsen's standing in the room. They stepped in as the couple looked to them with frustration in their eyes. Fredrick walked up to them and pulled them both into a hug. "Don't ever do something foolish like that again." He was angry that they'd tried something like that but he was also relieved that they were okay.

"How'd you know where we were?"

"Luc called me. Where's your father? I told Kristoff to break him out too."

Elsa spoke. "Before we got caught, Luc told me they'd moved the meeting up to yesterday. They put him on a ship to Oldenburg to work in the factories last night before we got there."

Fredrick started pacing the room with his hand covering his mouth. He finally stopped in front of them before crossing his arms. "Okay, first things first, we need to get you two out of the city. I'm going to find Anders and get him to help us get to your father since it was his fault he was arrested in the first place."

He looked to Kristoff. "Get whatever supplies you need and go. I'll contact you in three days." Kristoff nodded and they all immediately started packing things. The girls packed a few clothes that would help them stay warm in the forest without slowing them down, along with some food. Half an hour passed and they were still getting things together.

The girls and Mr. Larsen were standing in the living room trying to decide where they would go but finally figured they'd let Kristoff decide. He knew the area better than them. Elsa looked to Mr. Larsen and was about to speak but there was a knock at the door.

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter that introduces a couple of new characters! I'll try to have the next chapter up next weekend. The next chapter will be from Luc's point of view as he deals with the consequences of his actions in this chapter. I'm excited about where this story is going, I only wish I had more time to put into it! Please leave a review of what you thought and thank you for reading this story! Have a great day! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I appreciate all the feedback from the last chapter! I wanna give a special shout-out to Dragunov888! Thanks for the review and for helping me figure out a good direction for this story!**

 **One day earlier...**

"Herr Agdar. You are a well respected citizen of Arendelle. However, no one is above the law. By the authority of the Third Reich and the SS, I charge you with smuggling and conspiracy, and sentence you to imprisonment with labor."

The Colonel looked to the guards. "Take him away. He will be put on the next ship to leave for Germany tonight."

Actually, that was why Colonel Hans had requested this trial be arranged and ended quickly. The ship leaving tonight would be the last one for the week and he wanted this man gone as soon as possible. Agdar stood from his chair as the guards came walking up behind him. They led him out of the room and back down the stairs.

Then he heard one of the guards speak as they reached the door. "I can handle this." That voice sounded familiar. Agdar looked over his shoulder and immediately recognized Luc standing in front of him. Luc didn't say a word as he opened the door, led Agdar into the room, and closed the door behind him. He never took his eyes off the young soldier as he moved to stand in front of him.

"I have a message for you from Mr. Larsen."

 **The Next Morning...**

"Corporal this is unacceptable!"

The Colonel screamed and pounded his fist onto the desk. The only thing Luc could do was stand at attention. "In one night, you get attacked by a girl and then they escape past your patrol! I have never seen such negligence!"

The Colonel started pacing back and forth behind his desk, his anger boiling. He stopped and stared at the young man in front of him. Then he got an idea. "Perhaps some time on the Eastern Front will sharpen your senses... or dull them, makes no difference to me."

Luc felt goosebumps rising up his neck. The Eastern Front was basically a death sentence. The Colonel's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Report to Captain Mueller in 24 hours and he will put you on the correct ship. Dismissed."

Luc turned and walked out. Once the door was closed his hands went to his head in disbelief. He was being sent to the Eastern Front. Yet, he only had one thing on his mind. He left the building and went to the barracks where he found Sgt. Karl Engel and Cpl. Adler Traugott playing chess. They were his best friends in the platoon and they also went to church with him every week.

"Hey guys. I need a favor."

Karl looked up from the chess board. "Hey Luc. How'd it go?"

Luc hesitated for a second. "I'm being sent to the Eastern Front."

This got their full attention. Their eyes went wide as they looked directly at him. "What?! How could he do that?"

"He's a Colonel, so I suppose that means he can do just about whatever he wants."

Karl stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that brother."

Then a thought crossed his mind. "Lets go Adler."

With that, Adler quickly stood from his seat knowing right away what Karl had in mind. Luc however, was confused to why they were leaving. "Where are you going?"

Karl spoke as they reached the door. "Well we can't let you go by yourself, you don't know the way."

Luc's eyes widened. "No, wait!"

They were out of the barracks before Luc could stop them. He ran for the door but he was too slow. The Colonel was walking down the steps leaving the command post and the two soldiers met him at the bottom. They stood at attention and Karl spoke up. "Sir, requesting permission to accompany Corporal Luc Gottschalk to the Eastern Front."

The Colonel raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn't move. "Are you boys eager to serve the Fatherland, or do you have a death wish?"

Karl figured he might as well try to get by with some sarcasm. "A little of both, sir."

The Colonel picked up on it and narrowed his eyes at the man. "Very well, Sargent Engel. You and Corporal Traugott report to Captain Mueller with Corporal Gottschalk in 24 hours."

"Danke, sir."

They both turned and walked back to the barracks as the Colonel went the opposite direction toward the gate. Luc was standing by the door with a questioning look when they walked up to him.

"Why'd you do that?"

Karl smiled. "Your mother would kill me before any Reds do if I let you go by yourself."

Then Luc looked to Adler silently asking the same question and Adler answered. "I was getting bored around here anyway."

Karl chuckled and looked back to Luc. "Oh, you said you needed a favor?"

Luc then remembered what he was going to ask them. "Could you guys cover for me for a couple of hours?" Karl narrowed his eyes. "Sure, but why?"

Luc's cheeks turned a light shade of red. "I need to see about a girl."

Adler chuckled and spoke in a whisper. "Alright, I think we could do that."

Karl laughed and slapped Luc on the shoulder. "Private Bauer is leaving for the supply depot shortly. Catch a ride with him. He can pick you up on his way back."

Luc smiled and nodded. "Thanks guys."

He went to find the driver and within a few minutes, he was laying in the back of a supply truck. He'd asked the Private to drop him off a few blocks from Mr. Larsen's house. He'd left all of his weapons in the barracks, there was obviously no need for them right now.

A short time later, the driver stopped and let him out. He waited until the truck was out of sight before he began walking down the street that was just starting to glow from the morning sun. He kept playing through his mind everything he was going to say because he figured this would be his last chance while looking over his shoulder once in a while to make sure he wasn't being followed.

Before long, he was standing outside the Larsen's home and it took him a few minutes of gathering his thoughts and wits before finally raising his hand to knock on the door. Who was he kidding? They had probably left the city already. He didn't even know for sure that they'd came back here. A few seconds passed before it opened and Mr Larsen stood in the doorway with a smile on his face. "Good morning Luc."

Luc smiled back. "Good morning sir."

Fredrick stepped aside. "Come in."

As Luc walked in, the only person he saw was Mrs. Larsen. "Good morning Luc. My goodness! What happened to your head?" She said as she noticed the bandage underneath his helmet. He just smirked. "It's a long story. Did they make it back?"

Fredrick looked toward the back of the house and spoke a little loudly. "It's okay, it's Luc."

A second later, Anna, Elsa, and a blonde haired man came walking around the corner. His eyes went wide at the sight of Luc's uniform. Fredrick spoke quickly. "Calm down Kristoff."

Kristoff? This must've been the guy that came to get the girls. He still stood there shocked as he looked to Fredrick. "Who is this guy?"

Luc quickly defended himself. "I'm the guy with the wire cutters."

Realizing what he meant by that, Kristoff seemed to settle some but still looked cautious. Anna walked up to Luc and noticed the bandage on his head after he removed his helmet. "I'm sorry. I thought you were trying to hurt my sister."

Luc smiled. "It's fine." Fredrick noticed the dried blood soaked on the bandage at the back of his head. "My Lord, Anna. What'd you do?"

"I saw him holding Elsa by the arm so I hit him with a piece of wood."

Mrs Larsen cut in. "I'll fix you some tea Luc. Everyone else, you need to finish getting your things together." Everyone nodded and left Fredrick and Luc standing by the door.

Once they were gone, Luc looked to Fredrick. "Sir, I need to talk to you."

"Sure son. Is something wrong?"

"When they escaped, I let them escape through my patrol. The Colonel is sending me to the Eastern Front as punishment for negligence."

At this information, Fredrick's eyes widened. "Oh my Lord... You're going with Kristoff and the girls."

As Fredrick started to walk toward the back rooms Luc grabbed his arm. "I can't go with them."

Fredrick looked bewildered. "Why not?"

"Karl and Adler volunteered to go with me. I can't abandon them." Fredrick knew Karl and Adler from church and, like Luc, they were good men. He understood Luc not wanting to dessert them. "Okay son."

He walked up to Luc and pulled him into a hug. He spoke quietly next to Luc's ear. "What about Elsa?"

Luc froze. "What do you mean sir?"

Fredrick pulled back and looked Luc in the face and noticed his cheeks started turning red. "I've seen the way you look at her. Are you afraid she'll resent you because you're German?"

He couldn't have been more right. Every time Luc would try to talk to her in church, a little voice would tell him that all she sees is a German soldier. Luc couldn't form the simple word 'yes' so he just nodded. "You should talk to her. She might surprise you."

Fredrick moved his eyes to the first door at the top of the stairs before bringing his eyes back to meet Luc's. Luc stood frozen. "Well go on son. Don't let this chance pass you by. You might not get another."

With a deep breath, Luc started walking up the stairs. He knocked on the first door and it opened a couple seconds later. Anna stood in the doorway and Elsa was at the back of the room putting some clothes in a bag.

Anna looked surprised to see Luc. "Hi, is something wrong?"

Luc couldn't form words. He finally stuttered out half a sentence. "Can I uh- uh speak to E-"

Fredrick's voice downstairs interrupted him. (He was probably listening from the bottom of the stairs and was helping him out.) "Anna, could you help me get some food from the kitchen?"

She immediately responded. "Yes sir."

She looked back to Luc and started maneuvering around him. "Excuse me, I'll be right back."

The next second she was gone and he was still standing in the doorway. Elsa apparently hadn't noticed him. He softly knocked on the door frame to get her attention. She looked up from packing the clothes. "Mind if I come in?"

She stopped what she was doing. "Sure, please come in."

He walked in and came to stand a few feet from her but he didn't speak. She looked him in the eye. "Thank you for what you did for us."

He smiled. "You're welcome. Umm... " The words he'd repeated in his head the whole walk here were gone. She couldn't help but wonder what we he was trying to say. "Are you alright?"

He figured he had to start somewhere. "They're sending me to the Eastern Front."

Elsa took a step toward him. "Is it because we escaped?"

He didn't want her to blame herself so he didn't answer the question. She spoke before he could say something to dodge her question. "Come with us."

"I can't. My friends volunteered to go with me. If I leave, they'll still be sent to fight and I won't be able to live with myself if I do that to them."

Elsa gently nodded before Luc continued speaking. "I just-... I just wish I had done this sooner."

She continued to watch him struggle to form words. "I wish I had gotten over my fear and told you how I feel... Even if you wouldn't accept me because of this uniform."

In that instant, she realized what he was doing. "And- And now there's a good chance I... I won't see you again..."

He never took his eyes off the floor as he spoke. She could see his vulnerability right before her and his fear of judgement and rejection. She closed the distance between them and gently used her hand to lift his chin so he was looking into her eyes as she looked back.

She placed a comforting hand on his arm. "When I look at you, I don't see a soldier. I see a strong man of God."

She softly smiled at him. "Maybe one day when this war is over and my father is free, we'll see each other again."

Luc was speechless. Fredrick was right, she had definitely surprised him. She slowly let go of his arm and took a step back, never diverting her eyes from looking into his. Finally after what seemed like minutes, he felt air rising from his lungs in the form of words. "B- Be safe, Elsa. I'll keep you in my prayers."

She softly smiled at him. "And you in mine."

He took a couple of steps back and turned to walk out the door but her voice stopped him. "Luc, wait!" He turned to look back at her. She walked up to him and pulled a cloth out of her pocket and held it out to him. It had a blue cross stitched in the center of it with 'John 16:33' stitched underneath it.

"It was my mother's. She gave it to me before she passed."

"Elsa, I can't take this."

"You're not, I'm giving it to you."

She folded it and gently opened the chest pocket of his uniform and spoke as she placed the cloth into his pocket. "She told me whenever I face troubles in life, I should look at this and remember who God is and that He loves me."

She closed his pocket and looked him in the eye. "No matter what happens over there Luc, don't lose hope and don't let it change who you are."

He felt like he might be paralyzed. All he could do was nod and speak only a few words. "Thank you. I won't, I promise."

The look in her eyes showed she was genuinely concerned for him. Luc could spend the rest of his life in this moment but time doesn't stop for anyone. The sound of someone clearing their throat made Elsa and Luc break their stare and they turned to see Anna standing in the doorway with suspicion in her eyes.

Luc could feel his face turning red and looked back at Elsa who didn't even blush, but the room suddenly felt cold... Luc figured Anna showing up was his cue to leave the room. "Umm... I'll go check if Mr. Larsen needs any help."

Anna moved aside to allow him to leave the room and he was afraid to make eye contact with her but he could feel her staring at him. Once he was out the door, he caught a last glimpse of Elsa over his shoulder as she stood there looking at him before Anna closed the door.

Step by step, he made his way down the stairs where Mr Larsen was sitting in his chair drinking some tea. Luc put his hands in his pocket as he walked up to him trying to hide his joy. Despite Anna interrupting their moment, Elsa's words kept playing through his mind. She didn't see him as just another soldier, she actually saw him for who he is as a person.

He was so caught up in his joyful thoughts that he didn't even realize Fredrick was speaking to him. "Luc, come sit down."

Luc shook his thoughts away and moved to sit on the couch where Fredrick handed him a full cup of tea. He stared at Luc as if he was looking for some sort of indication or sign to let him know what had just happened. After a few seconds, he smirked. "You don't have to say anything."

Luc finally let out the smile he'd been holding back. "Is it that obvious?"

Fredrick chuckled. "Don't ever play poker son." The two friends shared a laugh as they enjoyed their tea.

After closing the door, Anna stood there with her arms crossed. "Elsa, what's going on?"

Elsa cleared her throat before answering her sister's question with a question. "How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough."

"It's not what it looked like."

"Really? Well it sure looked like you two were lost in your own little world." Elsa rolled her eyes and walked back to her bed to continue packing her clothes. She heard her sister walk up behind her before she felt her arms wrap around her in a hug and her chin resting on her shoulder.

"I've seen you turn down quite a few guys so for you to like this one, there must be something special about him. I know you can take care of yourself so I'm not going to worry about it." Elsa turned around and returned her sister's hug.

After a few seconds, she spoke as she stepped back from Anna, Elsa felt her smile leave her face. "He came to tell me that he's being sent to the war."

Anna covered her mouth in shock. "This is our fault, isn't it?"

"It's my fault... If I didn't try to save dad, we might not be leaving Arendelle right now and Luc wouldn't be going to fight."

"Elsa, do you have feelings for him?"

Elsa looked lost in deep thought for a moment. "I'm not sure... I've never felt this way before."

Anna smiled. "That means yes."

Elsa chuckled. Reality slowly started creeping back into her mind. "We need to be leaving soon."

Anna sadly nodded and they both went back to packing. It wasn't long before both girls exited the room to find Fredrick standing alone. Elsa spoke first. "Where's Luc?" For a split second she thought she saw him smile at her question but he answered in a serious voice. "He's keeping watch outside for any sol-, well any other soldiers."

They were quickly joined by Kristoff who had a bag of food and a smaller bag with something in it that Elsa couldn't make out. Kristoff looked to Fredrick. "We should be leaving now. Sven will be getting impatient."

Anna looked at the blonde man. "Sven?"

Kristoff looked to her. "My reindeer. He's waiting for us outside the city." Anna smiled with interest as the door opened and Luc stepped in. He looked at them all standing there staring at him. "Umm... I should be going soon. My truck should be meeting me down the street in a little while."

Fredrick walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. "We'll be praying for you Luc. Be safe over there and come back to us."

Luc couldn't believe the life he had here in Arendelle. He considered people like Fredrick to be his family, even though they weren't related through blood. "I will sir. Thank you for everything." They stepped back from each other and Luc saw a tear in the older man's eye.

"We should be going too." Elsa and Anna both hugged Fredrick and he bid goodbye to them both. The single tear had turned into a couple as the older man was possibly saying goodbye to the people he considered to be his children for the last time. The girls let go and he moved over to the side to speak with Kristoff.

Elsa moved to stand in front of Luc. She tried to find the words but when she couldn't find any, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into an unexpected hug. He wrapped his arms around her and she whispered into his ear. "Remember what you promised me."

He smiled as the seconds passed like minutes. "You be careful out there too Elsa. I'm not the only one with a fight ahead."

When she finally let go, he looked around and noticed everyone was watching them but were trying to pretend like they weren't. Elsa looked to Anna and Kristoff. "You both ready?"

They nodded as Luc opened the door for them. They all walked into the street together as the early morning sun was climbing higher into the sky. Luc was checking the street for any soldiers before Anna came out of nowhere and stood in front of him. He was honestly surprised. She spoke after a couple of seconds. "Be careful."

He nodded and smiled. "You too."

They parted ways and Luc walked in his direction as Kristoff and the girls went in the opposite direction. He shared one last look with Elsa as he took a mental picture of her to keep with him until he saw her again, Lord willing.

Pretty soon, he was back at the street corner waiting to be picked up by the private. A few minutes passed before the truck finally arrived. The driver didn't ask any questions and Luc wanted to keep it that way.

As he sat in the back of the truck, he couldn't help but wonder what was ahead for him. Would he ever see Arendelle again? Would he ever see the people he'd come to love as family again? Would he ever see Elsa again? He spent the rest of the ride back to the compound praying that he would. That he and his friends would survive this trial that awaited them in the Soviet Union.

 **Well, the chapter that was supposed to only take a couple weeks to do ended up taking over two months... Between school, writer's block, and some depression, this chapter was quite difficult but I finally pushed through it! This will be the last we see of Luc for a while. I want to get back to the central focus of Elsa, Anna, and their search for their father. I will be writing a couple of chapters later about Luc's experience in the Soviet Union. Thank you for being patient and I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!**


	5. Chapter 5

**When I realized how long it had been since I updated, I couldn't believe it! This semester has really flown by!**

"So where do we start?" Elsa finally broke the silence that had fallen over her since they left the Larsen's house.

She had been silent with her thoughts while Anna was continually asking questions to Kristoff about Sven and life in the mountains.

Kristoff looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"How are we going to save our father?"

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. "Well we can't just hop on a ship to Germany, they'd catch us. We're getting out of the city for now."

He looked at the street ahead. "I'll get in touch with Anders and see what he can do. He owes your family after his carelessness got your father caught in the first place."

Elsa stopped walking. "That sounds like it'll take a while."

Kristoff and Anna both stopped as Kristoff looked between the two of them. "I'm sorry, but there's no solution that'll have your father back by tomorrow. The Germans are looking for you and it doesn't help that they know what you both look like."

He started walking again and they both followed him. They were almost to the edge of the city. "If Anders doesn't help, we could try to make it to the next city up the coast and board a ship there. The Germans probably think you'll be hiding out in Arendelle so it shouldn't be that difficult."

Anna finally asked a question that had her concerned. "How will we find our father once we reach Germany?"

Kristoff seemed to think on it for a second before finally shaking his head. "I don't know."

After a few minutes of silence, they came to a barn. Kristoff checked the street before opening the door and leading the girls inside. "Sven? Time to go pal." They heard some hay rustling in the back of the barn before a large reindeer appeared around the corner wearing what appeared to be an almost dog-like smile on his face. Kristoff reached into one of the sacks he brought from the Larsen's and retrieved a carrot. He held it in front of him as the reindeer trotted up to him and took a large bite. "Glad to see you buddy, this is Anna and Elsa. They're sisters."

Sven smiled and made a sound. "He said it's nice to meet you both."

At seeing this, Anna glanced at Elsa before looking back to Kristoff. "Umm...Did you just speak for him?"

Kristoff nodded. "He's been my only companion for years, my best friend. I can almost always guess what he wants to say so sometimes I speak for him and he lets me know when I get it wrong." To confirm this, Sven nodded. Kristoff looked to his friend. "You ready to go?" Sven nodded again as Kristoff draped the two bags over Sven's back and they exited out the back door of the barn.

It wasn't long before they reached the dense forest and started walking higher into the hills. Any snow that would fall today would hide their tracks and the fog would almost guarantee they weren't being followed. They continued walking until the early afternoon. The sun could barely be seen through the clouds and the fog.

Elsa decided to ask a question that had been bugging her. "Why wouldn't Anders help us? Our father was sent away for helping his cause."

Kristoff rolled his eyes at the thought of Anders. "He only wants to help if he can get something out of it. Since your father is no longer useful to him, I doubt he'll want to help us." Kristoff had no problem making it clear that he didn't like or respect the man.

Anna noticed how he spoke of Anders as if he knew him personally. "Are you a part of his group?"

"I was for a very short time. We never saw eye to eye and I didn't agree with his methods so I left them and I do things my way now."

This puzzled Elsa. "What do you mean you didn't agree with his methods?"

Kristoff shrugged his shoulders. "He thinks he has to use every gun and explosive at his disposal. It draws so much attention that it gets a lot of people killed on both sides. He wanted to hang me as a deserter when I told him I was leaving."

Anna was genuinely curious. "So how do you fight?"

Kristoff seemed almost happy to answer her. "I sabotage whatever I can, as quietly as I can. Whether it's destroying a bridge to stop a convoy or setting supplies on fire, I try to do it without bloodshed." Now she was confused. "Why wouldn't Anders support that?"

"He believes the only way to win is to kill them all but we don't win by becoming monsters, we win by enduring and surviving." His answer surprised them both.

Anna continued asking questions. "So how'd you escape being hanged?"

"Anders' second in command and a few others made it clear that we weren't an official army and that I was free to go if I chose to do so. They all probably see me as a coward but I'd rather have a clear conscious over people's approval." Anna couldn't help but admire his strength to stand up for what he believed.

Elsa finally spoke her concern. "Are you sure we need Anders' help? He sounds like a terrible person."

Kristoff let out a chuckle. "We don't NEED his help but it would make getting to Germany easier."

"How so?"

"Your father wasn't the only person smuggling supplies for Anders. We're almost there." Elsa and Anna both started looking ahead of them but spotted nothing to indicate they were near anything. Nothing but trees and snow. They stepped through some thick bushes only to see a mountain in front of them that stretched into the sky.

Anna's eyes widened slightly. "A mountain?"

Kristoff looked at her and smiled. "My mountain." Sven shot a look at Kristoff who just rolled his eyes. "Fine, our mountain." Both girls laughed as they followed Kristoff and Sven along the path that led to the top.

About halfway up, Elsa's impatience to find their father caught up with her. "I thought we were going to Anders to see if he would help us." By this time, they were high enough on the mountain that the entire countryside was visible over the fog. Kristoff looked at her before pointing out over the edge of the mountain. A small smoke trail could be seen floating into the sky about 5 miles deeper into the forest.

"That's them."

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "So when are we going there?"

Kristoff nodded as he continued walking up the path. "I don't trust Anders so you two aren't going with me. You'll be safe up here."

They reached the top of the mountain and there was a small but rather nice looking cabin in an open area surrounded by trees. They entered and the inside was not what they expected. The furniture looked as if it was made by an expert carpenter. The wood work on the walls and the stone around the fireplace was beautiful. Elsa and Anna were honestly expecting a cold cave or an old shack so they were quite shocked. "Who built this place?"

Kristoff just nervously smiled. "I did." Anna could see how humble he was being about his work.

Kristoff put away the supplies before looking at the girls still standing by the door. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to meet with Anders. I should be back by nightfall."

Elsa knew they were more than capable of handling themselves. "So we're just supposed to stay here and do nothing?"

Kristoff understood her impatience. "I know you both want him back and Mr Larsen told me to help you any way I can but he also said to keep you safe. Those men down there are not safe. Most of them are scarred by the things they've seen and what they've done to survive. That's not a place for ladies."

He walked over to a fur rug on the floor and lifted it. He grabbed one of the planks in the floor and it lifted up. It was a hidden door. "This leads into the mountain. If I'm not back by night, hide in here until I get back. If someone else shows up, follow the cave and it'll take you halfway down the mountain."

They were both surprised at his resourcefulness. He reached under the couch and pulled out a handgun. He noticed the way the girls were looking at him. He put the gun in his boot. "Just in case."

He walked to the door. "There's food if you're hungry and the bed is in the back room if you need to rest from the walk." He took a quick look at Anna before nodding his head and closing the door.

He started his decent down the mountain and his mind was a swirl of thoughts. What was this he was feeling? And why did it seem like this feeling had something to do with Anna? He just met her yesterday so why was she able to capture his attention the way she did? Why was he so interested in everything she had to say?

He heard something and noticed Sven following him. "Not this time buddy. I have to do this myself." Sven snarled his disagreement.

"Keep watch. If anyone other than me shows up, let the girls know and meet them down the mountain." Sven snarled again but reluctantly turned around and walked back to the top of the mountain for a good vantage point.

Kristoff walked to what he hoped would be a group of old comrades and not the men he feared they'd become. He walked until the smoke trail was about a half mile away. Kristoff had been marking trees in case he needed to find his way back in a hurry. It took longer than he'd hoped to get here, there was some light in the sky but with the forest canopy, it was dark on the ground. He got closer and he could hear voices and laughter. Kristoff whispered under his breath. "Idiots. Practically giving away their position."

Kristoff walked some more then heard the sound of a rifle bolt pusing a round into the chamber. "Stop. State your business."

Kristoff slowly raised his hands and spoke to the unseen guard. "Kristoff Bjorman, here to see Anders."

"Kristoff?... Never thought I'd see you around here again." A hand grabbed Kristoff's shoulder before pushing him to the ground. Kristoff felt someone sit on his back but he managed to flip over to throw the person off. He raised his fist but stopped when he saw a familiar smiling face.

"Hector?"

The man laying in the snow burst into laughter. "Welcome back old friend."

Kristoff smiled as he helped Hector to his feet. "I'm not back, just came to ask Anders a favor."

The smile fell from Hector's face. "That may not be a good idea. Things have changed since you left."

Kristoff narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Most of the guys that vouched for you are dead and Anders may not be too thrilled to see you."

Kristoff nodded but knew he had to try for the girl's sake. "Of course he won't, but just take me to him. I'll speak my piece and be on my way."

Hector raised his eyebrows to convey his doubts with that plan. He led Kristoff through the camp. Supply boxes were stacked up and fighters were gathered around a few burning fires to keep warm. Most of them looked strangely at Kristoff as he was led through the camp. Hector led him to a tent and stood outside it.

"Anders, Kristoff is here to see you."

After a few seconds the flap opened and Anders stepped out of the tent with a large cigar in his mouth. Kristoff noticed some burns on his neck that weren't there the last time he saw him.

He eyed Kristoff up and down before slowly circling him. "So you decided to come crawling back?"

Kristoff glared at him. "You know I didn't. I'm here for a friend. Agdar."

Anders slowly nodded his head. "Is this the same Agdar that cost me a shipment of weapons and supplies?"

Kristoff wasn't standing for this. "You know good and well that you loaded those weapons without his knowing and he was arrested for it!" Fredrick had explained everything to Kristoff.

Anders stood in Kristoff's face. "Watch it boy, that's quite an accusation."

He stepped back. "Alright, what do you want?"

Kristoff narrowed his eyes. "The Germans are still hunting for Agdar's daughters. I need a ship to take them and myself to Germany so we can save Agdar."

Anders raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "Well look at you playing the hero. How about you leave them here with me while you run off on this fool's errand to save their father." His smirk got wider. "I'll be sure to keep them safe."

Kristoff stepped closer and tightened his jaw. "That won't be necessary. They're coming with me."

Anders dropped his smirk for a moment before putting on a mask of kindness. "There's a ship leaving Skien in three days for Denmark. The captain's name is Yuri." Kristoff nodded his head before turning to leave the camp. He took a few steps before he noticed the men that were standing by the fires were reaching for their weapons.

Not good.

Anders voice got his attention. "However, I can't let you take those young ladies to Germany." Kristoff noticed the fighters were surrounding him. "They won't last a day so you're going to tell me where they are and they're going to stay with me."

Hector cut in. "Anders, we don-" "Shut up Hector!" Ander cut him off.

This is why Kristoff came alone. He wasn't about to tell this monster where the girls were. He turned to face Anders. "I'm not telling you where they are." Anders walked within a few steps of him and gestured to the fighters with a laugh. "Do you think you're in any position to tell me no?"

Kristoff remained silent. Anders walked closer before punching Kristoff in the gut. The punch didn't hurt but Kristoff took it because he knew the fighters would likely shoot him. Anders swung his fist at Kristoff's jaw but Kristoff caught it and brought his knee to Anders' gut before stepping back.

Anders fell to his knees and the fighters pointed their weapons at Kristoff. Anders angrily stood and drew his sidearm. He pointed it at Kristoff's head. "Where are they!?" Kristoff remained silent.

Kristoff noticed one of the watch guards running into the camp behind Anders before screaming. "GERMANS!"

*Bang*

The guard fell to the ground. Then all hell broke loose.

The sounds of guns firing could be heard everywhere. Kristoff immediately stopped paying attention to Anders and the other fighters. He ducked his head and bolted for the forest. His only concern was getting into the darkness of the forest and back to the girls. He could hear shots and screams all around him but he kept going.

A mortar round exploded next to him and he felt a sharp pain in the bicept of his arm. He gripped it but in his adrenaline rush, he didn't stop running. He reached the forest and thank God it was the direction he had came from so he started making his way towards the mountain. The Germans would be searching everywhere for resistance fighters, even the mountains.

Elsa and Anna jumped when they heard a shot, followed by another. Within three seconds, it sounded like a war. Explosions and shots filled the air. It wasn't quite dark yet so Elsa ran out the door to see where the sound of fighting was coming from. She looked across the countryside and could see flashes of explosions through the fog.

She immediately knew it had to be the Germans. Kristoff would not be able to cause a comotion like that on his own. Sven came rushing over to her while gesturing for her to go back to the cabin. She looked at him. "Find somewhere to hide."

She ran back inside and blew out the lanterns before grabbing her sister. Elsa pulled the secret door open and Anna climbed down. Elsa followed her and left it slightly open so she could pull the rug back over the door before closing it. She then froze the edges of the door so it couldn't be opened. Anna saw her do it. "Good idea."

They both sat down and waited for something to happen. After a few minutes the explosions stopped. An occational gunshot could be heard but no other sound filled the cave.

Kristoff leaned against a tree for support. He had lost a good bit of blood but he kept going. He was about half a mile from the mountain. The sound of fighting had long since stopped and Kristoff had a pretty good idea of who came out on top. He had to keep moving.

Finally his body would allow him to go no further. He fell to his knees in the snow. He wasn't sure how long he sat there but he knew he had left tracks and a blood trail for the Germans to follow. It was only a matter of time. Then he felt an arm wrap around his waist and lifted him up. "Kristoff we need to keep moving."

He glanced over to see Hector practically carrying him. "The... The moutain..." He managed to say before passing out.

Hector kept going until he reached the mountain he assumed Kristoff was talking about. Now came the fun part. Summoning his strength, he tossed Kristoff on his back and wasted no time starting the climb. Halfway up, he could hear something behind him in the forest. Dogs. The Germans must have brought dogs to track down the remaining fighters. In a short time he reached the top.

The only light was from the moon and Hector could make out the cabin in the dark. He ran straight for it and didn't bother knocking as he rushed through the door. He placed Kristoff on the nearest table to look for a lantern. It wasn't smart to have too bright of a light with the Germans around but he needed light to help his friend. He finally found a lantern and some matches.

He lit them and observed Kristoff's wound. He tried to wake Kristoff up but he was unconscious. "Hey buddy. I need you to wake up. C'mon Kristoff, you're not going out like this." Then he remembered Anders and Kristoff arguing about Agdar's daughters.

Maybe this is where Kristoff was hiding them. "Hello?! Is anyone here?! I need help! Kristoff is losing blood!"

A few seconds passed without a sound. "Dang it!" He looked back at Kristoff's arm and could see two pieces of shrapnel lodged into his arm. "I don't know if you can hear me Kristoff but I've got to pull these out and it's going to hurt."

Hector grabbed the first piece of shrapnel and just as he was about to pull, he heard something in the house.

He drew his pistol and spun around to see two girls climbing out of the floor.

"I need help! Kristoff is losing blood!" Anna's eyes widened. She spoke in a loud whisper. "We need to help him!"

Elsa wasn't sure, it could be a trap. Then she heard the man's voice talking to Kristoff and figured maybe it wasn't. She unfroze the door and started climbing up. The first thing she noticed was a man standing by the table holding a pistol. Her first instinct was to protect her sister but then she saw Kristoff lying still on the table. She ran to Kristoff's side and within a second Anna was beside her.

Elsa looked to the man who had put the gun away. "Who are you? What happened?"

"Hector. The Germans attacked us."

Elsa quickly found the shrapnel in Kristoff's arm. She knew what she had to do but this man was standing here. She turned to him. "Go into the kitchen and find something to sterilize the wound." She quickly but gently pulled the shards of metal out and a lot of blood followed. Anna was already on the verge of panicing with worry for Kristoff.

Hector returned with a bottle of whiskey. That'll have to do. She poured it on the wounds and Kristoff came alive. He shot up on the table with a loud shout but quickly passed out again.

Hector helped lower him back on the table. The shards were out and the wound should be sterile. "Hector, I need a bandage."

When he left this time she waved her hand over the wounds and froze both of the openings and the bleeding stopped. Anna grabbed her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"He's losing too much blood. If it keeps up, he'll die. This will stop the bleeding and give it a chance to heal."

Hector returned in a couple minutes and Elsa quickly wrapped the wound so Hector wouldn't see the two lines of ice on Kristoff's arm.

"I'm sorry, I never got your names." Elsa looked up at him. "I'm Elsa, this is my sister Anna."

Elsa turned and saw Sven watching through one of the windows. She turned to Anna. "Go tell Sven that Kristoff is fine so he'll stop worrying." Anna quickly rushed outside. "Hey Sven, Kristoff will be fine. He just needs to rest right now."

Sven let out a breath of relief and then looked over Anna's shoulder. Hector had followed her out the door. "Hey Sven, it's been a while."

He looked at Anna. "I'm going to keep watch. The Germans will eventually come searching up here." He gestured to the path ahead of him. "They'll most likely come up this way. Is there any other way down this mountain?"

Anna told him about the cave underneath the cabin that leads down the mountain. Hector was impressed. "Good. You two should get some things together in case we need to leave in a hurry."

Hector started to walk away but Anna's voice stopped him. "What happened down there?"

Hector stopped and remembered the attack and what was happening before. Hector told her about the confrontation between Kristoff and Anders. "Kristoff stood his ground and refused to hand you two over, even with a gun in his face. I was afraid for him, then the attack happened. I saw him running so I followed him figuring I'd be better off. That shrapnel in his arm came from a mortar round that exploded beside him but he kept going. A grenade went off next to me and knocked me into a tree. It's a miracle I wasn't even seriously hurt. When my senses came back to me, Kristoff was gone but the attack was in full swing. He left a blood trail in the snow so I followed it until I caught up with him. He was barely conscious and he told me to come here."

Anna took all this in. She looked at Kristoff through the cabin window. "He's really brave." Hector could see the admiration in her eyes and smiled. "Yes he is." Without another word, he turned to go keep watch.

"How many did we get?"

"Seven. The men are searching the for-"

"SEVEN?! We had them out gunned with the element of surprise and you're telling me we only got seven?!"

Colonel Hans was furious at the unsatisfactory result of the attack. "How many men did we lose?"

"Four dead, five wounded."

Hans pinched the bridge of his nose. "We might as well have called in an air attack."

"Sir, with the fog it'd be difficult for planes t-"

Hans drew his sidearm and pointed it at the Sergent. "A pilot blindly dropping bombs could do more damage than you washed up men that call yourselves soldiers!" He took a calming breath and lowered the pistol. "Bring me the scout. I want to hear his report."

Within a minute, a soldier was brought before him.

"You were watching the camp before the attack. Anything unusual happen?"

"Yes sir. A lone man came into camp and spoke with their commander. They spoke of a man by the name of Agdar."

The Colonel's eyes widened as he looked up from the ground. "What'd they say about him?"

"I heard the one man say something about his daughters and then the two men exchanged some hits and the commander drew a pistol. That's when the attack commenced."

Hans was most intrigued by this unexpected report. "Could you describe the man that spoke of them?"

The soldier described Kristoff to the best of his ability. "Thank you Private, that'll be all."

The private walked away. Hans thought for a few moments before calling the Sergent back over.

"Leave only a squad to handle this mess. Gather any supplies and prepare to bring them back to Arendelle. I want every other pair of eyes searching the forest and surrounding mountains for anyone." The Sergent saluted and proceeded to carry out his orders.

 **Well it's official, I'm no longer a college student! :) I know it's been a long time since I updated but now I'm free from the clutches of professors, projects, and lab reports! Annnd it's time to go to work! I will have more time now though to work on my stories sooo I'm looking forward to it! :) Hope you enjoyed this long overdue chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I finally caught a couple free days to work on my updates. Writer's block hit pretty hard but I pushed through it, and this chapter is the result. I want to thank yall for the reviews! :) I'm so glad yall are enjoying the story so far! It really motivates me! Anyway hope yall enjoy this update! :)**

Hector listened to the sounds of barking echoing through the air. He sat calmly on a rock that gave him quite a view of the mountain and the surrounding country. He sat there processing everything that had transpired that night. Anders was possibly dead along with most of his comrades. They were good men that followed a not so good man. This made them into who they are. Hector always held tightly to his morals though. He made a promise to his wife that when he returned to her, he would be the same man she fell in love with. He would fight the enemy to protect the ones he loves, but there were some lines he wouldn't cross.

A strong but delightful smell pulled him from his thoughts. Coffee. He looked over his shoulder and both Elsa and Anna were coming up to the ledge with coffee for all of them. He was honestly surprised. His first impression told him they were scared of him. Elsa handed him a cup before they both sat down. "Thank you. How's Kristoff?"

Elsa answered him while taking in the view. "He's resting. Sven is with him now. He woke up once and mumbled something about finding us a ship."

Hector took a sip before speaking. "There's no way to know for sure if Anders was telling the truth."

Elsa nodded her agreement but Anna wanted to remain optimistic about it. "We have to try! I know Anders isn't likely to tell the truth but maybe this time he did!"

Hector heard the way she spoke of him. No doubt Kristoff had told them of his experience with Anders. "You know, he wasn't always like that." This got both sister's attention. "I was with him from the beginning. He had such an idealistic and patriotic view when he brought together twelve men who were just crazy enough to fight the Nazis. 'Protect the innocent and defy tyranny' was his motto. So we fought and after a couple months, the Germans figured out who was leading our group. They tracked down his family and..." Hector paused. He decided to leave that part out. "After that, he was overcome with a lust for vengence and blood. He didn't care about honor anymore. I understand why Kristoff left. A lot of the other guys understood too."

Anna finally asked a question that she figured Kristoff wouldn't want to answer. "Why'd Kristoff leave? He told us about Anders trying to hang him."

Hector nodded. "He did. Anders sent Kristoff and two others to arrest a man that was allegedly collaborating with the Germans and to find any evidence to prove it. Two of our men were killed in an ambush and we were informed that this man was passing information to the Germans. They searched the house but found no proof that he was anything other than a carpenter. They assured him it was a misunderstanding and they brought him back to Anders to clear things up but without any proof or provocation, Anders shot the man."

The girls didn't know what to say. "That was the last straw for Kristoff. He told Anders that he was leaving to fight his way. When Anders tried to have him hanged, several of the men stepped in. I think that's why Anders hates Kristoff so much. Kristoff proved that he had no more power than the men allowed him to have. That's when he went from a vengeful man, to a power hungry monster."

Anna looked at her sister and back to Hector. "Kristoff didn't mention that. He figured you guys thought him a coward."

"I can understand why he would feel that way but nobody thought that." Hector turned his attention back to keeping watch and could still hear the faint sound of dogs in the distance.

Anna heard them too. "We've got some supplies ready in case we need to leave in a hurry."

Hector noticed her worry and reassured them both. "It sounds like they're close but the wind carries the sound. They're miles away... For now."

Anna looked back to Hector. "So what's next for you?"

He didn't avert his eyes from the rolling hills of the Norwegian countryside. She started to think he didn't hear her but he spoke. "After Kristoff gets back on his feet, I need to go see my wife. Let her know that I'm alright. What about you two?"

Elsa had spent all afternoon pondering their situation and their options. Now she decided to actually speak up. "We're going to Germany to find our father. He was arrested for helping your group."

"I gathered that much from Kristoff's conversation with Anders. Any idea of how you're going to do that?" Then Elsa remembered what Luc had told her. She looked at Anna before returning her attention to Hector. "A friend told us he's been sent to the factories in Oldenburg. We're not sure how we're going to save him or even find him but at least we know where he is. We'll figure it out."

Hector continued to watch the countryside while he listened. "Well I wouldn't wait until I was in the heart of Germany before I at least came up with a plan. It may be too late by then."

He noticed how tired they looked. "You both should go rest. I'll keep watch."

They both wanted to stay awake and keep an eye on their surroundings. However, they'd been walking all day and it was well into the night. They reluctantly left Hector on the snow covered rock and made their way back to the cabin. After a couple minutes, Anna broke the silence. "We do need some rest. I get the feeling we're in for a long day ahead." Elsa realized in that moment how tired she was. The previous night and today's events had taken a toll on her and she imagined it was similar for her sister. After checking on Kristoff, Anna insisted on sleeping on the couch next to Kristoff's table. Elsa knew better than to argue so she made her way to the bed and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

 _"Girls, it's time for dinner!"_

 _Elsa and Anna's eyes lit up at the sound of their mother's voice calling them for dinner. She was an amazing cook and the girls were never disappointed when it was time to eat. They abandoned the game they were playing and raced each other down the stairs as fast as their small legs would carry them, ignoring their father's disapproval of them running down the stairs._

 _The afternoon sun spilled through their windows as another beautiful summer day in Arendelle came to an end. They quickly entered the kitchen as their mother was placing the last platter of food on the table. She wore her white apron with sunflowers on it and had her dark brown hair pulled into a bun. Her hands were covered in flour, which meant she'd made fresh biscuits._

 _The girls turned their noses up and took in the aroma of what they determined to be pork. "Wash your hands girls, then we'll eat." Their mother smiled at them as they eagerly went to the sink and washed their hands. Both of them barely tall enough to reach it. As soon as they were finished, they came running to the table._

 _Agdar followed them and smiled lovingly at his wife. With her hair pulled up, covered in flour, and no makeup, she still made him smile admiringly at her beauty. Their daughters obviously take after her. The girls climed into their chairs as their mother removed her apron and joined them. Agdar pulled her chair out for her as she smiled back at her gentleman husband. He sat next to her and they were all there at the table. The whole family together. Agdar looked at Elsa. "Would you like to say grace Snowflake?" Elsa smiled big and nodded._

 _The family joined hands and bowed their heads as little Elsa spoke. "God is great. God is good. Let us thank you for our food. Amen."_

* * *

Elsa opened her eyes and was met with the morning sun shining in her face through the window. It wasn't like her to sleep late like this. It was then she noticed she wasn't in her room. Or her bed. Then it all came back to her. She wasn't the little girl she had been a few moments ago, she was dreaming. Reality reminded her that she was in fact a young woman on a mission with her sister to rescue their father. She climbed out of bed and changed clothes.

When she exited the room she found Anna still asleep on the couch but Kristoff wasn't on the table. Just a bloody bandage. She heard a sound in the kitchen and walked in to find Kristoff sitting at the table holding a cup of coffee as he stared out the window. Elsa took a couple steps into the kitchen. "You sure you should be up? You lost a lot of blood."

Kristoff turned to look at her for a second before returning his gaze out the window. "It's a wonder I'm up at all... I really thought I was a goner for a while there."

Elsa leaned against the counter. "You had us worried for a little bit."

Kristoff turned to her. "The last thing I remember is passing out in the snow. What happened? How'd I get back?" Elsa made her way over to the table and sat across from him. "Your friend, Hector, brought you back. Anna and I hid in the cave when we heard the fighting. He brought you in and we came out and helped you."

Kristoff turned in his chair so Elsa could see his wound. She could still see the ice that was stopping the bleeding. Kristoff turned back to look at her. "Ice? You guys used ice? I remember blood pouring out of my arm and I took the bandage off this morning and haven't bled a drop. I'm no doctor but I've never heard of ice being used like that."

Elsa wasn't a liar but how could she be honest about what she'd done? "It stopped the bleeding."

"Yes but I don't understand how." She could sense him getting skeptical. "It puts pressure on anything in the wound thats bleeding. The bandage was meant to hold it in so it wouldn't fall out. Speaking of which, why'd you take it off?" She asked the question mainly to avert the conversation from the ice in his arm. Maybe he wouldn't ask why it hadn't melted yet or how they got it to fit perfectly into his wound.

He shook his head. "The bandage was bloody. I came in here to get a new one but when I noticed I wasn't bleeding, I figured I would have some coffee and enjoy the fact that I'm still alive." Elsa could understand that. But still. She needed to handle this before he got too curious about the ice. She moved her fingers a little to make the ice slowly melt. As it did, a little blood flowed out with the water but not much. He looked away from the window to his wet arm. "Dang. I'll get another bandage."

As he went to get up Elsa could tell he was still light headed from all the blood loss last night. She quickly stopped him. "Sit down before you fall down." Without waiting for his pride to argue back, she went to the cabinet and retrieved a bandage and she found a needle with thread to stitch the wound. Since the bleeding mostly stopped, it could be sewn up now. She grabbed the bottle of whiskey and made her way to the table with all the items. Placing everything down, she sterilized the needle, the thread, and the wound with the whiskey.

She sat the bottle down and after threading the needle she was ready to perform her first stitching on a person. "God help me." She thought to herself. Without saying a word, Kristoff took a swig from the bottle and placed it on the table to prepare himself. He hated needles.

She pushed the wound together and pushed the needle through. She heard him inhale sharply and figured she'd try to distract him from the needle. She glanced at the bottle. "I didn't peg you for a drinker."

He glanced at her before looking away. "I'm not. Is that judgement I'm hearing?"

Elsa gently shook her head as she tried to keep most of her focus on the task at hand. "No it isn't. Our father told us about it though. How it could turn people into someone they're not."

Kristoff nodded. "Yes it can. But some people just need a simple drink once in a while. Larsen was always warning me about it."

Elsa was almost halfway through stitching his arm. "Why? Did you talk to him about it?"

Kristoff looked away, almost acting like he didn't hear her. He didn't say anything. Elsa was getting the idea that he didn't want to and she could respect that.

She kept talking. "Mr. Larsen and my father were good friends. He's the closest Anna and I have to an uncle."

He seemed to relax a little. "He's a good man."

She heard a yawn from the living room indicating a certain redhead was finally awake. Kristoff chuckled at hearing her as Elsa finished the last stitch in his arm. She was wrapping the bandage when Anna came walking into the kitchen. She stood in the doorway looking at them as Elsa finished up with his arm.

Anna softly spoke. "Good morning."

Elsa smiled at her. "Good morning." She didn't smile back at first. Anna wasn't a morning person but it wasn't like her to just refuse a smile. She did after a couple seconds and came over to the table.

"Good morning. Hows your arm?" Kristoff looked up at her and smiled. "It hurts, thank you for asking."

Then something occurred to Kristoff. "Where's Hector?"

"He's outside keeping watch. If he's still awake." Anna answered him as she sat at the table.

Kristoff laughed. "He's definitely awake. Man could probably go a week without sleep."

Elsa decided to excuse herself. "I'll go check on him. See if he wants breakfast."

Elsa left the room and Anna went to the cabinet to start cooking. Kristoff looked at her and was honestly curious about her silence. She didn't seem like the type to be quiet for very long. "Was the couch comfortable?" "Yes." She sat some food on the counter and lit the stove. Kristoff finally decided to come right out and ask. "Are you alright?"

She didn't say anything for a few seconds. She didn't avert her attention from cooking either. "In less than a week I've lost my father and my home. I've been arrested, hunted by soldiers, and... last night I nearly watched my newest friend die. I'm just a little stressed."

Kristoff wasn't good with people. Anytime he had a problem, he'd talk to Sven but as much as he cared about Sven, he couldn't have a conversation with him. But here's this girl that's had her entire world turned upside down in just a few short days. As terrible as Kristoff was with people, he understood what she was going through. He shakingly stood from the table and joined her at the counter where he started helping her cook by mixing dough. "I know what that feels like..."

He didn't look at her but he could feel her eyes on him. "Everything changes so quickly and it's almost like nothing makes sense. You don't know what you did to deserve it or what good could come from it but..." His voice trailed off as he tried so hard to form the words. "It's not about what has happened to you, it's about how you react to it that matters."

Now that the words were finally out, he could look at her. As he did, a tear rolled down her cheek. He slowly and gently wiped the tear away and took a small step back. "I'm sorry this happened to your family. But the way I see it, you can let it ruin you or do something about it." A second later, she wrapped him in a hug almost knocking him down. Being hugged was well out of his comfort zone but he didn't really know what else to do so he slowly returned the hug.

He barely heard her speak. "Thank you Kristoff."

He slowly nodded. "You're welcome."

* * *

Elsa was walking to the rock they'd found Hector sitting on the night before but when she got there, he was nowhere to be seen. She looked around but couldn't find him. "Hector?"

"Up here."

She turned around and looked up. He was sitting about five meters off the ground in a pine tree. He was straddling a limb with a rope around his chest that held him to the trunk of the tree. She was confused. "Umm. What are you doing?"

"I heard a pack of wolves last night and figured it'd be safer up here."

"Uh huh... And the rope?"

"In case I dozed off. I didn't want to fall." Well that makes sense.

"We're fixing breakfast if you're hungry."

"Okay. How's Kristoff?"

"He's walking around, more or less."

"That's good. I'll be down in a bit."

Then she figured she'd better check on Sven too. "Where's Sven?"

Hector pointed behind the cabin. "He's sleeping in the shed out back."

She decided to leave him alone and let him sleep. As she turned to walk away, he started to untie the rope. She stopped outside to grab a few pieces of wood for the fire and saw Anna and Kristoff through the window hugging. She softly smiled and carried the wood around to the door. Figuring she'd gave them enough time to break up the hug, she walked through the door and put the wood in the fireplace.

She entered the kitchen and Kristoff was back in his seat drinking his coffee and Anna was at the stove frying some eggs. She looked happier than she did when Elsa left the room but her cheeks looked a little red. Had she been crying? Or was she blushing? "Hector said he'll be here in a little bit." She joined Anna in fixing breakfast and after a few minutes, Hector walked in and sat with Kristoff at the table. The two men started having a conversation about something while the girls made their own small talk.

Hector caught Kristoff glancing at Anna every once in a while and figured he'd take advantage of this opportunity and Kristoff's weakened state to embarass him. He looked at Elsa and Anna. "I have to tell you this story about Kristoff! Do you ladies like horses?"

At hearing that, Kristoff nearly jumped out of his seat but being as weak as he was, he settled for staring daggers at Hector. "Hector, I'm warning you..."

This had gotten the girl's attention but they kept cooking as he talked. "So last summer, Kristoff and I are out hunting. It's beautiful, warm weather and we come across this road. We start following it for a while. Pretty soon we hear something coming and we ditch into the woods on opposite sides of the road. A German patrol comes slowly moving along on horses. I heard them stop in the road for a few seconds and I thought they were about to catch us. But for whatever reason, they were soon on the move again. After they were gone, Kristoff runs across the road. Then he slips on mud and falls into it. He gets up and he's covered in it. But turns out it wasn't mud. When he stood up, I could smell him from the side of the road." Hector stopped talking because he couldn't contain his laughter any longer. Anna and Elsa fell apart with laughter when they realized what had happened. Kristoff was cherry red, whether from anger or humiliation, nobody knew.

Hector finally calmed down enough to speak. "I then knew why the horses stopped. We kept walking but I made him stay on the other side of the road from me until we found him a lake to wash off in." They continued laughing and talking and pretty soon, breakfast was finished. They all sat in the kitchen and ate. For the first time since all this started, there were big smiles on the sister's faces.

After their delicious breakfast, Kristoff was feeling tired so he went to bed while the girls cleaned up and Hector helped clean up before he went back outside to keep watch. Anna was washing the dishes and Elsa was cleaning the table and counters. Elsa finally brought up a topic she'd been wanting to discuss. "So you and Kristoff seem to be getting along fine." She said with a hint of teasing in her voice. Anna turned to look at her for a second and her cheeks were as red as her hair. "Yeah. He's a... interesting guy."

Elsa smiled. "Really? What's interesting about him?"

Anna seemed to think for a moment. "He's brave, but gentle. He's kind, but bold. I don't think I've ever met anyone like him."

Elsa could hear it in her sister's voice and she rolled her eyes. "Anna, you just met him yesterday morning."

"So? You can learn a lot about a person in one day! And what about Luc?"

Elsa fell silent for a few seconds. "What about him?"

Anna had left the sink and came to stand beside her. "You haven't said anything about Luc since we left Arendelle. Aren't you worried about him?"

Now it was Elsa's turn to be silent. She'd tried to put Luc out of her mind and give her attention to finding her father but so far, their conversation the morning before kept creeping into her mind along with the guilt she felt for getting him sent to the war. It felt like days since she'd had her discussion with him. Did she really like him? What would her father say? Anna grabbing her shoulder brought her back to reality. "Elsa?"

"Yes I'm worried. What if he doesn't make it back? Even if he does, how will he find me?"

Anna softly and compassionately smiled. She wasn't used to seeing her sister stress over a man. Although her heart broke for her, she was still happy that Elsa was showing at least some interest in someone. She gently grabbed Elsa's shoulders. "I know it's hard, but we have to trust God. Kristoff is going to get better, we're going to find Father, and Luc is coming back to us." Then Anna thought of something. "When did you realize you cared for him?"

Elsa thought on this. She had noticed him in church and saw him as just another soldier at first. As time went on, she started to see the man behind the uniform. Although she noticed how different he was, she assumed he didn't notice her so she didn't let herself be interested. "Well after he had been coming to church for a couple months, I started to notice how special he was. He was so different from my first impression of him and for a short time I hoped he would talk to me but he never did."

Anna smiled. "Some guys are shy and some are just clueless. Sometimes they just need a hint. Why didn't you ever talk to him?"

"As time went on, I paid less and less attention to him. When he admitted his feelings for me, I didn't know what to think. There's really nothing between us and I know little about him. Thats why I want him to come back. He seems like such an incredible man from what I've seen and heard and I want to have that chance to get to know him..."

Anna could sense there was something else, something deeper. "Why else?"

This conversation had taken a strange unexpected turn. Elsa could feel tears forming in her eyes. She pondered the question as she searched for the words to describe the way she was feeling. "I'm tired of being alone. I love you and Father but..."

She closed her eyes. "I just want someone that looks at me the way Father used to look at Mother."

By now, Anna had tears running down her face. She wrapped her arms around her sister. "I do pray he comes back to you safely." Elsa returned the hug as they softly cried on each other's shoulder.

 **This chapter was a bit tricky. I can write action chapters all day long, it just seems to flow. But with deep and personal chapters, I have to go back and read it a couple times to make sure the dialogue makes sense and flows with the situation. But I feel pretty good about this chapter! :) These last two chapters have been somewhat long but consider that my gift to you for your patience in the 6 months I didn't update :P The characters are starting to develop and build real friendship so I'm pretty excited about where this story is going! :) Please leave a review of what you thought of this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I love but envy those writers that update every few days or even once a week. I don't see how they do it! Now pertaining to the story, the group's trip to Germany isn't going to be just a hop and a skip. I was asked in a PM how long it would take the girls to find their father. I don't want to give up too much about what I have planned for the different steps of their journey but it'll definitely take a while.**

Most of the soldiers patrolling the area were growing exhausted. Colonel Hans had them searching all night and all morning. Barely allowing them time to eat breakfast. Snow had fallen early that morning, most likely hiding any tracks or trail for the dogs to follow.

The sun had been up for a few hours. It may have been early afternoon. One group of four soldiers drug their feet along as one of them spoke. "Where do we have to go now?"

The Sergeant walked a few steps before answering. "There should be a mountain up here. That should be the last place for today."

The Private's exhaustion was getting to him and the thought of climbing a mountain made him a little less disciplined in his manner toward the Sergeant. "The attack was early last night. Any fighters left alive are long gone."

"I know but orders are orders. When we get to the top we'll rest for a while if we find nothing."

* * *

Kristoff was gaining his strength back surprisingly quick. By afternoon, he was able to walk around the cabin as if he hadn't been fighting for his life the night before. However, it was unlikely he had the strength to make the trip to Skien. They had only two days before Yuri's ship was supposed to depart and they didn't even know which ship it was. All they had was the captain's name and even if they make it in time, there was no guarantee he would just let three strangers and a reindeer stow away on his ship. And all of this was assuming Anders was telling Kristoff the truth.

Elsa had a map spread across the table and Hector was helping her plot a course that would get them safely through the mountains without getting them lost. Elsa had learned navigation in her studies and by her figuring, Skien was at least 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast. They could walk some of the distance and God willing, catch a ride the rest of the way. However, staying near the roads posed a risk of running into Germans.

They could stick to the forest but that would add about 10 kilometers because of having to maneuver around mountains and rivers. Not to mention, the snow and terrain would greatly slow them down. The more Elsa ran the numbers in her head, the more she realized they would probably have to find another way across the sea. They would take their time getting there because she wasn't about to push Kristoff beyond his strength. If they don't make it in time, so be it. There are more ships.

They were planning to leave tonight and make it as far as they could under the cover of darkness. The Germans were still in the area so they didn't need to be caught out in daylight. Hector had already made plans to go home to his wife that night. Everyone was so busy doing some sort of work that they forgot nobody was on watch.

The sound of voices got their attention. All eyes looked out the window to see something that made all of them turn pale. Four soldiers were approaching the cabin, guns raised. Immediately, Hector grabbed the map and they all made a break for the secret door. Anna went down first, followed by Kristoff. Just as Hector started climbing down, Elsa heard a loud knock at the door. It was followed by the sound of the turning knob. There wasn't enough time, they were coming in. Not wanting everyone else to get caught, she quickly closed the door, but not before she saw the terrified look on her sister's face. She pulled the rug over the door just as she heard a German accent. "Hello?"

With a shaky voice, she quickly spoke. "Yes?"

She rounded the corner to see three rifles pointed at her as the man she assumed was in charge spoke. "Are you alone?" With her eyes wide, she answered. "Y- yes..."

He looked to the others. "Check the back."

Two of the soldiers went to search the house while the other two kept an eye on her. "Do you live alone?"

"No... My friend lives here too. He's not here right now..." The man looked around the room. "When will he be back?"

"I don't know." Her hopes were that they would assume that her and her friend were just some locals that lived in the mountains and would leave. However without invitation, they walked in and sat on the couch and kept their eyes on her. Elsa sat at the table. "We've been walking all night and day so we're going to rest for a little while. Later we're going to have to take you to our commanding officer. Your friend as well if he comes back." Elsa's hand started to tremble a little. "Why?"

He shook his head. "I'm not at liberty to say." In truth, he didn't know why. Just that the Colonel had ordered anyone found in the area, civilian or otherwise, be brought to him. The two soldiers came back and took a seat in the chairs around the room. They seemed to relax. Elsa was still nervous and a little scared. One of them spoke to her. "Do you have any water?" She nodded and got up to make her way to the kitchen.

* * *

Underneath the floor, Hector and Kristoff drew their pistols. Anna was on the verge of losing it but she was focused enough. She held her hand up and whispered. "Wait. Maybe Elsa can get them to leave." Kristoff looked at her. "And if they don't?" They had most of the supplies already in the cave, so if they could just get Elsa out, they could simply leave. Anna couldn't picture a senario where the two of them bursting into the room guns blazing would resolve the issue. It would only get the two of them killed and possibly her sister. "Just give her time." So they waited.

* * *

Elsa was quickly trying to come up with some sort of plan to get away from them. She didn't want to freeze them or hurt them despite their rudeness. Then she had an idea. The soldiers seemed exhausted. They had already opened their rations to eat, making themselves at home. Maybe they didn't suspect her to cause any trouble. She allowed her powers to flow for a moment. In a few seconds, the room started to get cold.

She looked to the one in charge as she stood. "I'll go get some wood for the fire. It's pretty cold in here."

He nodded and looked to one of the others. "Boris, go help her."

So much for that plan... Now she had a guard. He followed her out the door and around to the back. His voice nearly made her jump out of her skin as he spoke from behind her. "So your friend, is he your man?"

How was that any of his business? "... No... We're just helping each other."

She continued walking without looking at him. She hoped he wouldn't say anything else but her hopes were quickly crushed. "I see. Well it's certainly not safe to be out here all alone. Last night we caught up with a band of rebels not far from here. There's less of them now, but it's still not safe."

Elsa needed to play ignorant. "I had no idea there were rebels in the area. I heard the shots last night..."

He seemed to stand taller with pride. "Well we did our duty and they won't be bothering anyone else."

Elsa wanted to run but she couldn't. Instead she just continued walking to the pile of wood where he lifted a few pieces. Clearly trying to show off his strength. Elsa grabbed a couple pieces and started walking back to the cabin with him following her. As she was trying to come up with another plan to escape, she heard a 'thud' behind her. Elsa turned just in time to see the arrogant soldier fall to the ground unconsious, with Sven standing behind him. Elsa's face lit up at the sight of the reindeer. Quick as her legs would carry her, she ran to Sven and threw her arms around his neck in a hug of gratitude.

She looked him in the eye. "I need to find the others. Do you know where the cave is?" He nodded and lowered his back to allow her to climb on. Once she had taken a second to situate herself on his back, she grabbed his fur to help stay balanced and he immediately ran for a small hidden trail leading down the back of the mountain. About halfway down, he came to a stop near a cliff.

Elsa scanned the rock wall for any sign of a cave. Finally her eyes landed on a cave that was blocked off by a rock. She wouldn't be able to move it but the opening was just enough for her to fit through. She turned to Sven. "I'll be back with the others. Wait here."

After summoning her courage, she crawled into the dark opening. As she stood she had to give herself a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She extended her arms in front of her and started walking. The cave was mostly inclined up, which meant she was heading in the right direction. Maybe it wouldn't be too far. It was filled with twists and turns that she would have to find using her hands and whatever her vision could make out.

* * *

"We need to figure something out instead of just sitting here. It's been almost a half hour." Kristoff whispered as he lit a second lantern. Above them they could hear what sounded like some men playing a card game and snoring. They'd heard Elsa leave with the soldier a while ago but they weren't back yet. The soldiers were too distracted to notice they hadn't came back.

Maybe Elsa used her powers and got away. The uncertainty was driving Anna mad. What if she was hurt? "Maybe we should do something. Elsa could be in trouble."

Then another voice whispered. "Aww, are you going to rescue me?"

Anna almost screamed at the surprise of someone behind her but she and the men turned around to see Elsa standing there unharmed. Anna went to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm going to yell at you as soon as we're somewhere I can safely yell. What on earth were you thinking?"

"I didn't have enough time to get down here. We'll argue about this later. Sven is waiting for us outside."

Without another word, they gathered all their supplies and equipment and started heading back in the direction Elsa had come from. A few minutes later, they reached the exit and the rock blocking it. Kristoff and Hector both pushed against it. The rock rolled away and continued rolling until it dropped off the cliff. They walked out of the cave to see Sven standing there watching the rock tumble down the mountain.

Anna immediately turned on Elsa, not exactly yelling but not being quiet either. "Are you crazy?! Don't you ever do something like that again! What if they killed you or hurt you?!"

Elsa shook her head. "I wasn't hurt, I'm fine. Thanks to Sven. Even so, you know I can take care of myself." Anna knew she was referring to her powers. It still didn't calm her though but as much as she could scold her sister, she decided it wouldn't do any good.

Her sister was too stubborn for a lecture on how dangerous her actions were, so she settled for a threat. "You put yourself in harms way like that again, and it won't be the Germans you have to worry about."

Without wasting anymore time arguing, Kristoff led the way and soon they were at the bottom of the mountain heading deeper into the forest. It was almost dark. No doubt by now the Germans at the cabin knew she had escaped. Soon they reached a clearing and Elsa was walking with Anna explaining what happened at the cabin.

She noticed Kristoff turn to look back at his mountain. Elsa saw his eyes widen a little and followed his gaze behind them. There was a large trail of smoke at the top. Realization hit Elsa. "Oh my gosh..." They had burned Kristoff's cabin. Anna and Hector looked too and they were shocked as well.

Hector walked up behind Kristoff and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." Kristoff turned and for a split second, Hector thought he saw a tear before Kristoff wiped his face. "Lets go."

A few kilometers later, it was completely dark and cold but they were a safe distance from the mountain. Thankfully they had found four trees arranged in a perfect, small square. They knew they had to build a fire to keep from freezing but also stay as hidden as possible. Kristoff and Hector ran a rope around the four trees and hung a blanket on each length of the rope to make four blanket walls. Then they took another length of rope and a blanket and made a roof to keep any snow out with a small hole in it to allow the smoke to escape. Anna quickly built a fire in the center of their little blanket fortress. Within minutes, they were all inside and warm as could be.

Hector decided to leave in the morning. It was cold, and he was exhausted. He was the first one to fall asleep, followed by Elsa and then Sven. Kristoff figured Anna was asleep too so he slowly made his way outside. Anna saw him go and decided to leave the comfort of the fire to see what he was doing.

She stuck her head outside and saw him walking towards the tree line. She followed him and the cold bit at her warmth, but she did her best to ignore it. Soon he sat against a tree at the edge of the forest. In front of him, the sky opened up as there were no trees to hide it. With no snow tonight, the aurora was clearly visible. The bright green colors flowed like waves across the night sky.

Kristoff sat there as he pondered his situation. His home had been destroyed and he was heading to Germany where he and his friends might die. A sound of crunching snow interrupted his thoughts. He quickly turned behind him and the first thing he could make out was red hair in the darkness. He wordlessly returned to the sight that was before him.

She came up to the tree and sat beside him. "I'm sorry about your home. We'll help you rebuild it one day."

Kristoff shook his head. "I don't want it rebuilt."

Anna was confused. It was a very nice cabin in a very beautiful place. "Why?"

He was silent for a moment. Anna gave up on expecting an answer but he finally spoke. "I grew up in that place..."

Anna waited for him to continue. He didn't say anything. "And?"

Another moment passed. "It's a long story... You should get some rest."

Anna stared at him for a second. "So should you."

With that, she got up and walked back to their little camp. Kristoff watched her leave and sat there for a few more minutes looking at the sky and listening to the sounds of the forest. But his thoughts kept drifting back to her. He couldn't understand what he was feeling. She kept finding her way into his mind and throughout the day he would find an excuse to look or speak to her. Why did he want to tell her everything in that moment? Why was he able to just talk to her the way he did? It felt comfortable, almost natural. In that moment he'd almost told her everything but he stopped himself. Maybe that was a conversation for another time. They had other things that needed their focus. He slowly got up and made his way back to the warmth of the fire, where he threw a few sticks on it and rested his head on Sven's back. It wasn't long before he was finally claimed by sleep.

* * *

The Sergeant entered the tent to report to the Colonel. Colonel Hans looked up from his paperwork to listen. "Sir, we patrolled the northern sector. Our only encounter was a woman living on the mountain about 8 kilometers north." This got the Colonel's attention. "A woman? Was she alone?"

"I don't know sir." The Sergeant explained his short conversation with the woman and how they didn't find anyone in the house with her. "Private Boris went outside with her to gather some fire wood. He said that while she was walking in front of him, someone snuck up behind him and knocked him out. We found him in the snow some time later."

"Tell me, what did this woman look like?"

The sergeant raised an eyebrow. "She was surprisingly pretty. Not someone I would expect to find living on a mountain. She was rather tall with pale skin and bright blonde hair."

Colonel Hans nodded. He knew it had to be Agdar's daughter. "Was there anything around the cabin to suggest where she went?"

The Sergeant looked afraid to answer. "Well sir... We didn't see anything."

"You did check, didn't you?" "No sir."

"Get some rest Sergeant. Tomorrow we'll search the cabin for any indication of where they've gone and we're going after them."

"Well sir... We burned the cabin..." Colonel Hans looked outraged. "WHY?!"

"We were angry that one of our men had been attacked..."

"You fool!" He took a breath. "Regardless... We're still going after them." The Sergeant couldn't help but wonder. "Sir, what's so important about her?"

The Colonel wasn't about to tell this man of his intentions. "Never you mind Sergeant. She and her sister are fugitives and must be arrested." Her sister? Now the Sergeant was confused but was too exhausted to think any more on the matter. "Yes sir." He left the tent to follow his commander's orders to get some rest.

 **Annnd they're off to Skien. What are Colonel Hans' plans? What is Kristoff reluctant to tell Anna about? Will they catch their ship in time? Lots of unanswered questions that may be answered in time! I'll try to update again soon! Please leave a review of what you thought of this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey yall! Enjoy the update! I've had a hard time figuring out the direction for this story but I've got a pretty good idea for it!**

Two days had passed since they began their long walk and it was just as Elsa had suspected, the ship was supposed to be leaving today and they were only halfway there. The sun was getting lower and their legs were tired. There was a town up ahead they planned to stop at for the night and Kristoff needed to contact Mr Larsen to explain the situation. Hector had bid his goodbye the morning after they left the cabin. It would've been reassuring to have him around but everyone understood the neccesity of making sure his wife was safe.

The lights of the town were soon in view as the group stood at the edge of the forest. The town wasn't very large. Two streets lined with a few buildings. No cars, just horses and carts. Kristoff quickly spotted a barn that Sven could stay in for the night, he made a mental note to find the owner later. After walking a little further, they soon found an Inn. A rather modest establishment, but well kept. An older gentleman was dusting the desk off as they entered. "Can I help you?" His accent wasn't Norwegian. Maybe Scotish?

Kristoff answered him. "Can we get a room for the night please?"

The man noticed there were three of them. "Aye, but the only room at the moment has only one bed." Kristoff looked over his shoulder at the girls. "You two can take the room. I'll sleep in the barn with Sven."

The man's eyebrows raised. "The barn?"

"Yes sir. Could you tell me where I might find the owner of the barn down the street?"

"Well young man, I happen to be the owner."

Kristoff smiled and nodded. "Well with your permission, could my reindeer and I rent your barn for the night?"

"No sir, you may not rent it but you can sleep there." The man chuckled. "I wouldn't dare charge someone to sleep in a barn."

Kristoff was genuinly grateful. "Thank you sir. Could you tell me where I might find a phone in town?" Anna was somewhat surprised at Kristoff's manners. The man pointed in the direction they had been walking. "That would be the town hall down the street." Kristoff put some money on the counter to pay for the room.

They arrived upstairs at the room where he sat the bags near the door. "I'll go call Mr. Larsen." Kristoff left the Inn and made his way down the street to what he assumed was the town hall. As he entered, he immediately noticed a phone in the corner and an elderly woman sitting behind a desk in the middle of the room. "Good evening." She looked up at him with piercing eyes. She spoke calmly but pointedly. "Yes. What do you want?"

Kristoff could fire back but it certainly wouldn't help. "May I use your phone?" She let out a breath before looking back down at her papers. "Don't take long." He didn't want to waste anymore breath speaking to her so he went straight for the phone.

"Hello?"

"It's Kristoff."

"Oh thank the Lord! I was getting worried! Are the girls safe?"

"Yes sir." Kristoff then explained their plan to hop a ship to Germany or Denmark. He was aware the German's may be listening so he was careful to not mention any names other than his own, their current location, or their destination. Pretty soon he practically had Mr. Larsen all caught up, barring a few bloody details. He said he would call again when they reach their destination.

He hung up and exited the building without saying anything to the woman at the desk. He went back to the Inn where he found the girls resting their legs. "Tired?" It was only then they noticed he was in the room. Almost too tired to speak, they settled for nodding.

"I'll take Sven to the barn. We'll leave at first light so get some rest." He went outside but Sven wasn't there. He looked down the street to see the man from the Inn leading Sven to the barn. He followed them until he caught up with them at the barn door. "You sure you don't mind us using your barn for the night? I wouldn't want to impose."

"It's my pleasure. Your group looks like they've had quite a stroll." Kristoff nodded as they all entered the barn.

"Yes sir, we've been walking for a few days."

"Aye, well the Germans haven't been through town since last week so we're expecting them in the next day or so." Kristoff was confused.

"Pardon me?"

The man pointed at Kristoff's feet. "That's either a splint or a pistol in your boot young man."

Kristoff looked and realized the handle of his pistol was sticking out of his boot. The man questioned him. "Are you a partisan?"

Kristoff nodded. "Not anymore."

The man sat on a nearby crate. "Ever been in a firefight?"

Kristoff hesitated to remember the bloody memories. "A few."

The old man nodded, sensing Kristoff's discomfort. "I fought in France in the first war but I had thousands of comrades by side. I imagine you only had a few dozen, if that. So I respect you for standing for what you believe in the face of such overwhelming odds." Kristoff smiled. Nobody had ever shown him respect for what he did. Most people were afraid to be seen talking to him for fear it would get them arrested or killed. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the story of the two ladies traveling with you?"

Kristoff hesitated to disclose the full story. "They just lost someone very important to them. I'm just helping them."

"If I may be a bit more nosy, where are you heading?" Now that, Kristoff was not going to answer. "I ask because a friend of mine just harvested before the snow fell. He's leaving in the morning for Larvik to sell his crop. Maybe you could catch a ride with him."

Kristoff raised his eyebrows. That would put them less than a days walk from Skien. The old man gestured toward Sven. "If he doesn't mind, your friend could help his old mule pull the cart."

Kristoff turned to Sven, wordlessly asking if he was alright with that. Although the lazy part of Sven wanted to roll his eyes, the part of him that wanted to help won out so he just nodded. Kristoff turned back to the man. "We'd be more than glad to help him."

The old man smiled. "Good. I worry sometimes about him traveling by himself. I'll send word to him tonight." He lit a lantern and pointed up a ladder. "There's fresh hay in the loft to sleep on, but keep this flame away from it."

"Thank you." Kristoff wasn't just thanking him for the hay. The old man nodded and left.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

Another punch landed on Hector's face. "Answer the question!"

Hector spat some blood onto the floor. "I told you! I was out checking my traps when you jumped me!"

The soldier punched him again. Colonel Hans leaned against the back wall watching the interrogation. Sensing it wasn't going anywhere, he decided to try something else. "I'm looking for someone, and I believe you can help me find her." He pushed off the wall and walked over to Hector. "Her name is Elsa. She was last seen in the same area we found you. Blonde hair, blue eyes, around twenty years of age. She has a sister, Anna. Red hair, green eyes, about eighteen years of age. We believe they're traveling with someone else but we have yet to determine their destination."

Hector didn't hesitate. "I don't know anyone that fits that description. Now just let me go!"

Hans nodded, not satisfied. "Very well. Tell me, have you checked on your wife lately?" Hector's eyes widened. How'd they know he was married? He hadn't even told them his name.

Hans leaned over until he was face to face with Hector. "If you tell me where they are going, I will let you go. You can go home to your wife, father some children, and live your life in peace. We won't bother you anymore."

Hector was no traitor, especially to his friends. Hans stood and walked to the door. "Put him in a cell. Give him some time to think on whether he wants to stick with his current answer."

With that, he exited the room and walked to his office with his captain following behind him. As they entered, his captain spoke. "How did you know he was married? Do you know him?" Hans sat at his desk. "I've never seen him before. I was guessing, but did you see his reaction? He's definitely married. It's only a matter of time before he tells me what I want to know."

His captain couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "Sir, this obsession with finding these girls has used up more than enough time and resources. Now will you tell me why it's so important that we find them?"

Hans flipped through some papers on his desk before slowly looking up at him. "I will excuse the manner in which you just spoke to me." He stood from his desk and walked around it to stand in front of the officer. "Captain, do you plan on being an officer for the rest of your life?"

"No sir, just for the duration of the war."

"Precisely." He started to pace in front of his desk. "Regardless of the outcome of this war, the demand for officers will only last as long as the war. I am simply planning for my future after the war."

The captain nodded. "I understand sir, as am I. But what does that have to do with the sisters?"

Hans stared at the wall of the room as if he were deep in thought. "I'm thinking about getting into the shipping business once I've completed my career as an officer."

Realization hit the captain as he stated rather than asked. "You want to take their father's business."

* * *

Although Sven wasn't thrilled about helping an old mule pull a cart loaded with crops and people, it wasn't that bad. The farmer, who was named Jules, was grateful for their help. He even told them of a friend of his that lived near the port of Skien that would be more than happy to give them shelter. And taking the road with the cart put them less than a day's walk from the city. They hadn't met any Germans along the road either. If their good fortune held up, they could be in the city by the evening. The day passed like any of the other days they had been walking, except being near the road demanded more caution. Just as the sun was beginning to touch the horizon, they could hear the sounds of ship horns. After a few more steps, they came to a clearing and ahead of them stood a lighthouse. Beyond that was a city. They finally made it.

The girls had visited the city a couple of times when they were kids. Being older, they now noticed that Skien wasn't much different from Arendelle. The buildings were well structured and the people seemed rather cheerful in the early afternoon. Of course there were Germans around but they didn't recognize them so they didn't bother them.

As they walked along, they came to the address given to them by the farmer. Kristoff knocked on the door and a few minutes passed before a middle aged man answered. "Can I help you?"

"Yes sir, are you Samuel?"

The man noticed Sven and the girls. "Maybe."

"Jules told us we could possibly stay the night here. I can pay of course." Then a group of soldiers came walking by eyeing them suspiciously. Samuel noticed this. "I'm sorry, I can't help you." Then he shut the door without another word.

Kristoff was used to having people turn him away so he didn't think anything of it. "I guess we'll go find somewhere else." As they passed the alley next to Samuels house, they heard a voice. "Hey."

They turned to see Samuel speaking to them through a window. "Come in through the back."

They looked at each other confused. "Hurry. They may come back."

Without waiting longer, they walked through the alley and went to the back door where he let them in. "I'm sorry about that. The Germans get suspicious of people letting strangers into their home."

They walked in where he led them up the stairs. "So how do you know Jules?"

"We helped him take his crop to the market earlier."

"Ah, well I'm glad the snow didn't get his harvest. So what's your business in town?" He had opened up his home to them, they could at least extend a similar courtesy. "We're looking for a ship to take us across the sea to the continent."

He stopped walking and looked at them as if they were crazy. "Why would you want to go there?" Kristoff looked to the girls before looking back at Samuel. "We're trying to find someone."

Samuel just nodded. "Well I know a few of the captains so I could ask around tonight if any ships are going across."

"Tonight?"

"Yes, they meet at the pub down the street. I only go for the coffee and to stay up to date on current events."

Kristoff looked at him. "Do you mind if I tag along?"

Samuel shrugged his shoulders. "By all means, the place could use some new blood."

He showed them to their rooms. "Hope you don't mind the dust, they haven't been used in some time. Dinner will be ready shortly." He left them to get comfortable. Elsa looked to Kristoff and broke her long silence. "Are you sure you want to go with him? We've been walking a lot, maybe we should get some rest."

Kristoff wasn't waiting. "No, we need to leave as soon as we can. We rest too long and they'll catch up to us." He whispered before leaving the room.

Elsa looked at Anna. "What's with him?"

Anna had been wondering that herself. "I'm not sure." Then she thought. "But I'll find out soon enough."

* * *

An hour later, Samuel and Kristoff were well into a chat with a few guys at a table. Dinner has passed with simple small talk before the men excused themselves to head down the street. In the short time they'd been here, Kristoff found out one of them shipped livestock but not to Germany or Denmark.

He inquired to the sailor as to where he could find a captain that could take some passengers across the sea. The sailor looked around as if he were about to reveal a big secret. "There's this one captain, came into port about three days ago so he should be leaving soon. His name is Olaf, and his ship is the Summer Sunrise. There's a rumor among the captains that he smuggles to the Danish partisans across the sea. If the rumors ring true, he's your guy."

"Where can I find him?"

* * *

"So we have a deal?"

"Yes, as long as you give the information I want."

"Very well. The man they are traveling with is Kristoff, he lives on the North Mountain and he travels with a reindeer. I met him a couple of days ago. They said they were going to Skien to catch a ship to Germany."

Hans nodded. He had finally got the information he wanted. "Do you know what ship they were planning to take?"

"I don't remember... Wait, he said the captain's name is Yuri and his ship is the Golden Eagle."

Hans stood from his desk and extended his hand. "Thank you very much for your information, Mr Devon. You will accompany us to Skien and if your information proves to be true, you will be free to go."

Anders stood and shook Hans' hand. When asked to give up Kristoff, he didn't hesitate. Since the attack, he'd been trying to find his men but was caught by the Germans a few days later. He figured he could throw the suspicion off of him and get rid of Kristoff once and for all. Two birds with one stone.

One of the officers leaned in and whispered to Hans so Anders couldn't hear him. "What do we do with the other prisoner?"

Hans thought for a moment and whispered back. "Let him go. It's not worth the resources to keep him around."

He returned his attention to Anders.

"We will be leaving tonight."

 **So I have a perfectly good reason for my absense but I know yall aren't interested in excuses. I know this chapter was a little dry as far as whats going on with the girls, Kristoff, and Sven but the story was progressing too slowly for my liking. Although I've been working on this for almost a year, and this is the 8th chapter, the entire story has spanned barely over a week. And there's so much I've got planned ahead but I won't ever get to it if I keep going at the pace I've been going at. So I plan to speed things up a little as far as time passing within the story. Don't worry though, I'll still be descriptive of important events, and I'll do my best to not leave any holes in the story. However, if one slips by me please point it out and I'll try to fix it! I hope yall enjoy the long overdue update and I've already started on the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Two updates almost within a week of each other, surprised? :) Thank yall for the reviews! They're very motivating! And to answer guest's quesion, I don't want to give away too much but I have not forgotten about Luc. I'll get around to what's happening with him in the next chapter. Enjoy!**

The next morning, Kristoff sat at the table with Elsa and Anna as he explained his plan to them but Anna was a little skeptical. "How do we know we can trust this captain?"

Elsa looked at her. "We've made trusting complete strangers a pretty regular occurence lately."

Kristoff tried to reassure them. "I'll meet with him first before we make any plans beyond that. We've been taking a lot of chances only because we didn't have many alternatives. It's a miracle we've made it this far. Samuel said I could use his phone to call Mr Larsen and give him an update."

Then Elsa stopped him. "Can I call him? I'd like to speak with him for a moment."

Kristoff nodded. "Okay, but be careful what you say. The Germans may be listening."

Elsa nodded and stood. "I'll be right back."

She left the room and everything went silent. Anna and Kristoff just sat there and looked at each other for a moment before looking anywhere else in the room. Finally Kristoff grabbed his cup of coffee. "I'm going to step outside for some fresh air." Then he walked out the door to the balcony. His behavior truly puzzled Anna. He had been so kind and comforting to her back at the cabin but after that first night, he'd been so... awkward. He avoided being alone with her and almost only spoke to her when necessary. She wasn't sure whether to be curious or hurt. He obviously had something on his mind. Maybe he'd eventually figure it out.

Elsa held the phone to her ear as it rang. "Hello?"

She didn't want to use her name. "Uncle Fredrick, it's Snowflake."

"Snowflake! So good to hear your voice! I assume you made it safely?"

"Yes sir. We're planning a boat ride for later. I think it'll be fun." She continued talking while dropping little hints to describe their situation. Finally she reached the question she wanted to ask. "Uncle Fredrick... Have you heard from Luc lately?"

There was silence for a couple seconds. "He shipped out the morning after you left... Last I heard, he had made to his assigned unit on the front..."

Elsa felt a flare of worry and suddenly needed to sit down. She found herself on the floor leaning against the wall. "You still there?"

"... Yes..."

"He's a capable young man. He'll be alright, but keep praying for him."

She never stopped praying for him. "Yes sir... Thank you."

"Be careful out there Snowflake. It's an ugly world but have faith because-" "-because Jesus has overcome the world." She finished the verse he was quoting.

She could almost hear him smile through the phone. "Worrying won't help Luc, you need to stay focused on what's ahead of you."

"I know..." She sat there listening to Mr Larsen talk about how things were going in Arendelle.

A short time later, Samuel came around the corner looking worried. "I have to go Mr Larsen. Take care."

"You as well Snowflake."

She hung up as he came anxiously walking up to her. "Get your friends and get to the basement. Somethings wrong." They both started walking toward the stairs. "What do you mean?" He was following her to the attic. "I don't know. The Germans are doing a house to house search for something. All of you need to hide."

She found Anna sitting upstairs and Kristoff on the balcony. They all made their way to the basement while Samuel explained what was happening. After they were all downstairs, Samuel closed the door behind them and locked it. Kristoff started looking around. "We can't stay here. If they come into the house, this'll be one of the first places they look."

There was a small window at the top of the basement wall. He climbed up until he saw the shed behind the house Sven was hiding in. He jumped to the floor and looked at the girls. "I'll boost you both up and climb up after you. Once you're out, run for the shed and find somewhere to hide."

He lifted Anna up first, followed by Elsa. As he went to climb up, he could hear a German voice above them. "By order of Colonel Hans Westergard of the SS, we are conducting a search for fugitives." Hans Westergard? Kristoff knew that name from somewhere. He climbed out and was in the shed in no time. Only nobody was there except Sven. "Anna? Elsa?"

"In here." He turned to see a hay stack moving. "Good idea!" He dove into another hay stack, with Sven moving some hay to cover him up. He heard the door open, followed by the sound of boots hitting dirt. Then he heard Sven growl, followed the boots take some quick steps to the door. "Nothing in there but a grumpy deer."

"Did you check everywhere?"

"Yeah." He heard the soldier lie.

"Alright, lets check the next house."

A few minutes of silence went by before Kristoff started moving. "I think they're gone." He slowly climbed to his feet, followed by the girls. He stood there for a moment thinking about what just happened.

Anna tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "What is it?"

He stood there for another moment. "Does the name Hans Westergard mean anything to you?"

Both sisters froze in place and Kristoff felt a sudden chill in the air. Elsa looked at him. "Yes. Why?"

"They said he's the one that called for the search."

Anna felt herself getting pale. She looked at Elsa. "But I don't understand. He's supposed to be stationed in Arendelle. What's he doing here?" Elsa didn't say anything, but Kristoff knew why they were there. "The soldier said they were searching for fugitives." Anna was confused. "Could they mean us?"

"Maybe. But why all this trouble just for us?"

Then Kristoff cut in. "Is there something you two aren't telling me?"

For a moment, Anna was afraid. Maybe Hans somehow learned the truth about Elsa's powers and was hunting her down. God willing, that wasn't the case and her sister's secret was safe. Then Elsa asked her own question. "How does he know we're here?"

Kristoff thought for a moment. "Someone must have told them we were coming here. It doesn't matter now. We have to get out of the city. I'm going to meet Olaf and see if he can take us to Germany. You two need to stay out of sight." Elsa and Anna were getting tired of hiding but they didn't really have a choice.

Samuel had found where the Summer Sunrise was docked. The captain would most likely be nearby. Kristoff made his way to the ship and asked one of the crewmen where he could find the captain and they started to escort him below decks. One of the crewmen knocked on a door. "Captain? Someone wants to speak to you." Someone on the other side spoke. "Send em in." He looked at Kristoff before opening the door and stepping aside. Aside from some light shining through a porthole, the room was dark. A table sat in the middle of the room and Kristoff could barely make out the captain's boots propped up on the table.

A voice spoke to him from the darkness. "What do you want?"

"Captain, some friends and I were hoping to acquire passage on your ship to get across the sea to Germany."

The room was silent for a few seconds. "Interesting. Of all the places in the world, why would you want to go there?" With their situation getting more desperate, Kristoff told him about Elsa, Anna, and their father. The captain didn't say a word the entire time until Kristoff was done speaking. "That's quite a story."

"And?"

The captain stood from his chair and stepped into the light. He wasn't what Kristoff expected. He was rather young to be a captain and somewhat short. He had a cheerful look and a big smile on his bearded face. "And welcome aboard!"

He hugged Kristoff, which was surprising before he took a step back and extended his hand. "Sorry, I like to hug new people. My friends call me Olaf."

Kristoff shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you Olaf. When were you planning to depart?"

"Tomorrow night. Hopefully we can get most of the way across under the cover of darkness."

"Why?"

"U-boats. They're a terror on the open seas. Their sole purpose is to sink ships. You and your friends be here tomorrow afternoon and we'll be on our way. I've got business with some friends in Denmark."

"Thank you Captain Olaf. We'll be here." He left the ship and started making his way back to Samuel's house. As he neared the house, he could tell something was wrong. The front door was open. He slowly stepped inside, his hand ready to reach for his gun. He rounded a corner to find Samuel sitting at his kitchen table with his head in his hands. "Samuel?"

He looked up at him without saying a word. "What's going on? Where are Anna and Elsa?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry Kristoff. They came back... I tried to hide them but... they took them."

* * *

Elsa sat with Anna in the attic. They had been sitting there talking most of the afternoon. Elsa was reading her Bible and Anna was humming a tune as she watched people on the street through the window. "Elsa, what do you think will happen after we find father? We can't go home."

"...I haven't thought that far ahead. We have to find father first. Then... I don't know."

A few seconds went by. "Elsa, what do you want to do with your life?"

Elsa slowly lowered her bible and looked at her sister. "What's with all these questions?"

"I'm just curious. We've never really talked about it, aside from a few fantasies of traveling the world or getting married." She moved over and sat in front of Elsa. "C'mon Elsa, what do you want?"

Elsa thought for a moment. "I don't know. I would say I want an exciting life, but we've gotten plenty of excitement lately."

"I would hardly call any of this 'exciting'."

Elsa couldn't come up with an answer. She had been studying to take over the family business. With that she could live her life independently and be financially secure but... she wanted more than that. "I've been afraid my entire life to let anyone get too close because of my magic... Gerda is my best friend but she really doesn't know much about me... I've never even been in love..."

Anna softly smiled. "For what it's worth, neither have I."

Elsa returned her smile. "I guess I just want some people that really know who I am and not feel afraid of me... What do you want, Anna?"

Anna didn't hesitate as she almost jumped from her seat. "I want a life full of adventure and wonderous things I can put in a book one day. Each day with my future husband shall be full of excitement an-"

"Anna, you're drifting into fantasy land."

She took a moment to calm down. "Maybe a little..."

Suddenly the door burst open. It was Samuel. "You have to hide! They're coming back!" He ran to the other side of the room and peeked out the window. Several soldiers were coming back down the street searching the houses again. "Downstairs, quickly!"

As Anna and Elsa made their way down the stairs to leave through the back door, it opened and a soldier grabbed Anna. She screamed. "Let me go!" Elsa's first instinct was to hurl a ball of ice at the soldier. As she reared her arm back, she was struck in the back of the head as she heard Anna scream. "ELSA!" She fell to the floor unconscious.

Samuel came running down the stairs to see a soldier standing over Elsa and Anna screaming as her hands were tied behind her back. Elsa looked unconscious and soldiers were coming into both doors then he heard one of the officers speak. "They both fit the Colonel's description. Search the house for the third fugitive and bring them to the truck."

One of the soldiers held Samuel against the wall as they carried Elsa out and pulled Anna screaming out the front door. The soldier screamed at him. "Is anyone else in the house?!"

Through the shock and fear, he could barely speak. "No. They were alone when they came here."

Pretty soon, the soldiers had searched the house and found nobody. After questioning him further, they left. He slowly walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. The guilt was overwhelming.

* * *

 **Later...**

"I'm so sorry Kristoff... I tried..." Kristoff stood pacing across the room.

He sat and drew his pistol. He checked the number of rounds in the magazine before reloading it.

Samuel watched him. "What are you going to do now?"

Kristoff stared at the weapon. "... Whatever I have to... Do you know where they took them?"

"Most likely the SS headquarters across town. It's heavily guarded. You'll need more than a pistol."

Kristoff looked up at him. "You have anything bigger than a pistol?"

Samuel stood and walked to a corner of the room where he pulled the cabinet to the side. Kristoff saw him pull a piece of the floor out. When he stood, he held a German MP40 submachine gun and five sticks of dynamite. Kristoff's eyes went wide as stood to his feet and took the gun. "Where did you get this?"

"I bargained it with a resistance fighter for shelter and food. I was saving it for a day like today." The idea in Kristoff's head went from a suicide mission to a solid plan that might work. "I have a plan, but I need your help Samuel."

Samuel sat at the table as he started fixing the fuse on the dynamite. "Okay. What is it?"

* * *

Elsa didn't often feel cold, but as she felt the water being thrown on her, she could tell it was freezing cold. As she started regaining her senses everything was a blur. It was followed by an intense headache. Elsa reached for her head but found her hands couldn't move. After a moment, everything started to clear up and she realized she was chained to a chair and the first thing she saw was a light hanging over her head and another empty chair in front of her. She heard a familiar voice behind her. "Welcome back Ms Elsa. I must apoligize for the water but you were taking entirely too long to come around."

Elsa could barely speak. "Wh... Where's Anna?!"

"You need not worry, she is fine. For now."

Elsa started to freeze the chains so she could break free but then a thought occurred to her. She was soaking wet. If she froze the chains, she might accidentally freeze the water and herself. For the time being, she would stay here. She heard footsteps and then Colonel Hans was in front of her sitting down in the chair. "Ms Elsa, I will not harm you or your sister. As long as you cooperate, there will be no need for that."

Elsa didn't say anything, she just waited for him to continue.

"You see, almost everything that we do is motivated by the future. You were trying to rescue your father because you wanted him to live a long life and be a part of your family's future. What I am doing is motivated by the future as well. With your father unable to perform his duties as owner of your family's shipping company, the ownership falls to his oldest child. So in exchange for you and your sister's freedom, I want you to sign over ownership of your family's company to me."

Elsa couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You chased us all the way from Arendelle because you want my father's business?"

Colonel Hans simply nodded. "Yes I did."

"Your superiors let you get away with that?"

He smiled. "The nearest SS officer that outranks me is in Oslo. So out here, I can pretty much do as I please and nobody questions it."

Honestly, she was more concerned about her sister's safety than her father's business but she still refused to give this selfish man what he wanted. "No."

"Well I anticipated as much." He whistled and the door opened.

A civilian Elsa had never seen before brought Anna into the room, her hands tied. "Elsa?! Are you alri-"

"Quiet!" The Colonel silenced her. "Now Elsa, if you will not sign over ownership, I will be forced to kill you and make your sister the same offer. If she refuses as well, I'm prepared to acquire what I want through marriage to her."

Anna wanted to throw up at the thought of being married to this monster. "I would never marry you!" She shouted.

"Well my dear, you wouldn't have much of a choice in the matter. However, if your sister does what she must, I will let you both go."

When Elsa remained silent while staring at the floor, he walked over to Anna and grabbed her by the throat. "Elsa? What will it be?"

In that moment, Elsa's anger boiled over and her magic flowed out of her uncontrollably. The chains that held her froze solid and shattered. Before anyone could react, she waved her hand and ice shot from the floor and hit Hans in the head. He fell to the floor and the man holding Anna let her go and ran from the room. Elsa ran to Anna, not even glancing at Hans. She froze and broke the rope around Anna's wrists. "We have to get out of here." She thawed every bit of ice in the room within seconds and they started to leave.

Then they heard an explosion that shook the entire building.

* * *

The cover of darkness was an added advantage. Kristoff told Samuel to wait ten minutes for him to get into position before blowing up a car a block away from the HQ. The explosion should draw most of the security out of the building. Any remaining security, Kristoff would have to deal with. Kristoff watched the HQ from an alley across the street and almost twenty men left the building and ran down the street to investigate the explosion. Kristoff took this opportunity to slip inside. Samuel had done his part so he should be on his way back to his home.

He made his way down the hall, gun raised. Any gunfire would probably draw the twenty soldiers back to the HQ so he needed to do this as quietly as possible. The gun was a last resort. He could hear voices at the end of the hall so he slipped into one the offices and barely left the door cracked open as two guards walked past the door.

After they were gone, he continued sneaking through the building. This place was bigger than he thought. He needed to find the holding cells or the interrogation room. Those were the most likely two places he would find them. He saw a soldier standing guard around the corner of the hall. Thinking quickly, he snuck around the corner and before the soldier could spot him, he grabbed him and drug him into one of the rooms.

The soldier wasn't as strong as Kristoff so he wasn't hard to relieve of his weapon and restrain. "Where is the interrogation room?"

This kid wasn't much of a soldier, he spoke without hesitation. "You're here for the girls right? They're both in the interrogation room on the second floor. Please don't hurt me."

Kristoff had what he needed so he gagged him and left him tied to the desk.

As he was making his way up the stairs, the last person he expected to see emerged from the top of the stairs running. Kristoff raised his gun confused. "Anders?"

Anders' eyes went wide. "Kristoff?... Oh thank God!"

"What are you doing here?"

Thinking quickly as he walked down the stairs, he formed a lie. "They caught me a few days ago and were holding me here. The explosion drew most of them away so I was making my escape. Why are you here?"

Kristoff lowered his gun. "I came to get Elsa and Anna. If you help me, I'll get you out of here."

Anders slowly pulled a knife out of his pocket without Kristoff noticing, when a voice at the top of the stairs shouted. "Kristoff! He's helping them!"

Both men looked up to see Elsa standing there with Anna's arm over her shoulder. Without questioning her, Kristoff hit Anders with the gun knocking him over the side of the stairs. He fell to the floor with a scream. Kristoff looked at them. "Are you two alright?"

"Yes, but Anna's leg is hurt."

"Let me take her." He ran to the top and scooped Anna up in his arms.

He went to hand his pistol to Elsa. "Do you know how to use this?"

Elsa hesitated. The time for secrets was over. "I don't need it." He looked at her confused.

"Just stay behind me and keep her safe." Before he could protest, she started walking down the stairs. As they reached the bottom, Kristoff started guiding them out of the building. They took a left and were met with two guards running down the halls. Kristoff's eyes widened as he saw them raise their guns. Before they could shoot, their guns were suddenly engulfed in ice along with their hands. They all fell to the floor from the weight. Kristoff couldn't believe his eyes and he was speechless. "Wha-"

Elsa cut him off. "I have magic, now let's go!"

As they ran past the soldiers, Kristoff knocked them both out and Elsa thawed the ice to leave no trace of her magic. They didn't meet anymore guards and were soon across the street from the HQ. Kristoff had so many unanswered questions but his adrenaline helped him stay focused on the plan. We need to get to the docks. Sven is waiting for us." They made their way street by street to the docks. Anna kept pestering him to put her down but he refused. Elsa led the way but Kristoff kept his eye on her. In that moment, he wasn't sure about her. Anna sensed his unease and whispered in his ear so Elsa couldn't hear. "It's okay. She's not dangerous."

Kristoff wasn't entirely convinced. "I've heard of witches that could do magic."

Anna almost laughed. "My sister isn't a witch. She's been able to do that her whole life. She's never hurt anyone with it." Kristoff looked at her and she corrected herself. "Before tonight..."

They continued walking. They arrived at the docks and Kristoff led them to the Summer Sunrise where they found Sven waiting. "Hey buddy, did you get our bags from Samuel?"

Sven nodded before looking concerned at Anna. "She's fine, looks like a sprained ankle."

They boarded the ship and Kristoff introduced them all to Captain Olaf. Once he'd greeted them all with a hug, they proceeded below decks to the quarters he had arranged for them. Kristoff bandaged Anna's foot and tied a splint to it so she could walk around without further injuring herself. Finally he had an opportunity to get some answers. "What happened back there?"

After a silent moment, Elsa decided she might as well tell him. "Colonel Hans wants our father's shipping business. He threatened us so I would sign it over and then we escaped."

Kristoff nodded. "With the help of your ice magic?"

"Yes and with your help. I hope you understand why I kept it a secret."

Kristoff nodded understandingly. "Yes but still... I'll need some time to process this."

Then a thought occurred to him. His eyes widened. "The night I got hurt, did you put that ice in my arm?"

Elsa hesitated. She wasn't sure how he would react but she had to be honest so she nodded. "It was either that or you would have bled to death."

Kristoff was somewhat in shock. She had used magic on him, his mind was a confused mess. Does that mean he had magic now? Or that he could die from the exposure to magic? Finally after a few breaths, he calmed down enough to speak. "Thank you Elsa, for saving my life."

Elsa nodded. "Hopefully the soldiers and the Colonel were hit in the head hard enough they won't remember what happened or how they were overpowered. Who was that man on the stairs? You looked like you knew each other."

"That was Anders. How was he helping them? He hates the Germans."

Anna spoke. "Before he took me into the room with Elsa, he was questioning me in the other room about the Colonel and why he was after us but even I didn't know. He must be the one that told Colonel Hans we were coming here." Kristoff's anger at the man was overwhelming. This was a new low, even for Anders.

"I need to go inform the Captain to why we arrived here early." Elsa stepped between him and the door. "You have to promise that you'll keep my magic a secret. You're the only one aside from my father and sister that knows about it and I want to keep it that way."

Kristoff nodded. "I promise."

* * *

After explaining what happened, the Captain decided for their safety, they would depart tonight. He quickly ordered his crew back to the ship and they made ready. After getting approval from the harbormaster, they were steaming into the open sea. It was still early in the night so they had plenty of time to steam south under the cover of darkness.

The night's events had been tiring for Elsa so she was the first one to fall asleep in the cabin. Anna laid in bed unable to sleep until she heard Kristoff leave the room and like the night they left the cabin, she decided to follow him.

After limping down the halls and up to the deck, she found herself standing behind him as he stood at the railing watching the pitch and roll of the waves under the moon lit sky. "You shouldn't be on that ankle. It'll make it worse."

Realizing she'd been caught, she came to stand next to him at the rail. The ocean was beautiful tonight. The stars spanned across the clear sky and the half moon ignited the surface of the rolling waters. She spoke without taking her eyes off the ocean. "Why are you doing this?"

"I like to enjoy the view once in a while."

She chuckled. "No, I mean why are you helping my sister and I? You've already done so much for us but what's in it for you?"

"Nothing I guess."

"Then why help us?"

"Well since you put it like that, I guess I'll just swim back to shore." That made them both laugh but there was still an unasked question. "You didn't seem too upset when your home burnt down. You said you don't want it rebuilt." She had been curious for days to why he said that.

"I also said it's a long story."

"Its a long way to Germany."

In that moment, he decided to not hold back from her anymore. "Fair enough."

He paused for a second to collect his thoughts. "After my mother... died, my father became a drunk... He tried to raise me but it's hard to raise a kid when you're drowning yourself. I guess he wasn't happy with life or with how I was turning out. When I was 13, he left me at that cabin and I never saw him again."

Anna could feel her heart breaking for him... Tears threatened her eyes but she held them back. Kristoff's face was expressionless as he stared into the night sky where it touched the ocean horizon. "Why'd you stay there?"

"I had nowhere else to go. Shortly after he left, I started harvesting ice just to get by and that's how I met Sven. We worked together and Sven stayed with me. The place used to look a lot worse but we spent a couple years doing some work to make it decent."

Anna could understand but at the same time, she couldn't. Their father hadn't abandoned them after their mother passed. If anything, he became more of a father. He was more attentive to them and their need from him as a parent.

She stepped closer to Kristoff and looped her arm through his to touch his hand. "I'm sorry Kristoff... You really are a good man..."

Then she found herself looking into his eyes as he stared back into hers. She started to bring her face closer. Their lips were mere centimeters from each other and she closed the distance. As their lips made contact, it was like her mind shut off and everything around them faded away. No war, no evil, and no fear, just the two of them on the deck of a ship under the moonlight.

It was over after a few seconds and Anna almost laughed when she saw the look of nervousness and confusion in his eyes. Figuring she'd confused him enough, she decided to leave him alone with his thoughts.

She smiled up at him. "Goodnight Kristoff." She kissed him on the cheek and made her way to the stairs.

"Goodnight Anna." When she was gone from his sight, he turned back to the view in front of him. The kiss kept replaying through his mind and he couldn't help but smile as the waves of the ocean danced under the stars.

 **So they finally kissed and Elsa's secret is out! The next chapter will be about Luc and his friends so there will be war violence. Consider yourself warned. Hope yall enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review of what you thought! Thank you for keeping with the story so far despite long periods of not updating!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well in this chapter we find out how Luc is doing on the front line near Moscow. Warning: This chapter contains war violence and anxiety attacks. Hope yall enjoy it and I tried to maintain a respect for history by being as accurate as possible! I would like to give a shout out to Desteny Star and Dragunov888 for helping me with this chapter!**

Death.

That was the only word Luc could use to describe the last two weeks. Death on an industrial scale.

Diseases were widespread in the camps. Typhus and Dysentery spread through the army group like a consuming plague. Snipers targeted officers everyday and the frigid weather was making the soldiers desperate for any warmth. He had heard stories and knew it would be beyond his worst nightmare, but nothing could've prepared him for the things he was seeing.

He and Karl were digging through the rubble of a collapsed house as bullets whistled all around them. The line was under heavy attack and an artillery shell hit a house with some of their men in it. They kept digging until Luc finally found a live soldier buried in the debris. Soldier? Even behind the blood and dirt on his face, he could see the face of a boy no older than 18. They loaded him onto the stretcher and began carrying him to the field hospital.

This had been their job since they got here. It gave them ample chances to see the horror of the front line and the result of it at the hospital. Adler had been assigned to the engineers somewhere nearby. Luc wasn't sure if their job was any better than his. All day he and Karl would carry the critically wounded back from the gunfire and explosions. Sometimes they would survive long enough to make it, sometimes they wouldn't. Luc hated doing this but he figured there were much worse things they could be doing in this war.

"Luc, stop." He turned and Karl was checking for a pulse. Karl shook his head. He was gone.

"Let's keep going. You don't know for sure."

Karl looked up. "Set him down."

They lowered him to the ground and after saying a quick prayer that they said more often than they wanted to, they unloaded him from the stretcher. Then they started making their way back to the line to try to give someone else a chance to survive.

After carrying three more men to the field hospital, the fighting had settled down for the evening but it would pick up again in the morning. Two men had died on their stretcher today. Luc made sure to gather their bodies from where they were forced to leave them and after digging them out of the snow, he took them to the grave site for a proper burial.

Finally, he and Karl made their way to the trenches to rejoin their unit. A large fire would've been most welcome but it would make them a target for artillery. They sat near a small flame while the rest of the squad sat neaby with their own. Since they hadn't been with the unit in the beginning of the invasion, they were treated very harshly.

As they sat in the snow, Luc could feel another episode coming on. His chest felt tight and his heart began racing. He started to breathe as fast as he could but he still felt like he was suffocating. He couldn't get enough air to satisfy his lungs. Karl had watched him going through this before and knew there wasn't much he could do. He put his arm on Luc's back. "Just breathe. It's going to be alright." After a couple of minutes, his heart finally settled and he calmed down. These episodes happened almost every night over the last week.

One of the men noticed him struggling. "Shut up kid. You don't hear any of us crying."

"Don't listen to him." Luc looked up to see Peter climbing into the trench and moving to sit next to him.

Peter was one of the very few that welcomed them into the unit.

"You alright?"

Luc nodded.

"I'm going to the quartermaster for rations. Care to join me?"

Anything to keep him occupied. "Sure."

They both stood and made their way away from the trench as low as possible and avoiding any light. Enemy snipers were always on the hunt. After they were a safe distance from the trench, they started making small talk.

The frigid cold bit at Luc like needles through his uniform.

"You don't have a coat?"

"I did. It was stolen while I was sleeping a couple nights ago."

"We'll find you another."

Peter wasn't cruel or bitter like the others but yet he was accepted by the rest of the unit like he'd known them for a while.

"How long have you been here?"

Peter thought for a moment. "August, when the weather was fair and we ate regularly."

Luc was shocked. He stopped walking. "That's four months. How have you been able to handle this?"

Peter paused for a moment. "It's different for everyone. I hold on to the hope that it won't last forever. One day it'll be over and if we're still here, we can go home. But right now that's just a fantasy. I just keep my head down and watch my step."

"You make it sound easy."

"Do you have family?"

"...Not really. We never agreed on much."

"A girl?"

A blue eyed blonde appeared in his mind and Luc couldn't help the distant look on his face.

Peter smirked. "Hold on to that. Let her be the thought that makes you run faster, push harder, and survive longer."

He put a hand on Luc's shoulder. "And don't listen to the others. They're like that because they just don't want to get close to anyone they might have to watch die. It's hard, especially if you aren't used to it but don't let yourself get used to any of this. These guys that get used to it will never be the same as they were before. If they survive this war, their own families won't recognize them when they go home. But when you go home, you'll be the same man your girl remembers you to be."

They started walking again in silence. Luc was pondering on what he said the rest of the way and they finally found the quartermaster. He was honestly surprised the Major in charge gave them anything. He gave them some food and gave Luc a new coat. Luc was overjoyed at the thought of not having to wake up to a wet freezing uniform in the morning.

As they walked back, Luc was curious. "You were speaking from experience earlier?"

Peter nodded. "My father. He was at Verdun and the Somme... I was young when he left but mother always told me about what a great man he was. But as long as I could remember, he was just... empty. It nearly killed my mother when I told them I had been conscripted."

Luc thought for a moment to his own mother's words.

* * *

 _"Son, it will be good for you." his mother spoke as she followed him through the house._

 _"No, it will be good for you and father."_

 _She narrowed her eyes. "Explain yourself!"_

 _"You and father are ashamed that your only son isn't a Nazi so you think my conscription will somehow redeem your pride."_

 _"Well Luc, we have tried to teach you but you insist on going your own way."_

 _Luc felt his anger rising up. Too often his parent's words were dripping with disrespect. He was certain in his heart that what he believed was right, and it certainly didn't agree with the Nazi agenda. "I'm not going my own way."_

 _"Well that Bible you read so much says to 'honor your father and mother'!"_

 _"And I have! It also says to love your neighbor as yourself but I certainly don't see that from you and father! And it also says to not provoke your child to anger, but you both make a hobby of it!"_

 _His mother gasped at his raised voice and slapped him. "How dare you speak to me like that!"_

 _Luc couldn't take it anymore. His parent's manipulation had finally pushed him over the edge. He quickly grabbed his duffle bag and stormed out without saying goodbye to his mother and he didn't even want to wait around to speak to his father when he got home._

 _That was the last time he saw either of his parents and he didn't plan on returning home any time soon. His parents fooled themselves into thinking they were teaching him what was right but they were just trying to mold him to be just like them. He knew in his heart that they were wrong. He had spoke to Mr Larson often when he would start doubting himself and he would reassure him that he was on the right path._

* * *

"Luc? You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I was distracted. You never said how you managed to get us the food and coat."

Peter grinned. "The Quartermaster is a close relative of my fiance."

Luc laughed probably for the first time since he got to the war. "So you're engaged? You never mentioned that before."

"Yeah, we're getting married the moment I get home."

"Where's home?"

"Oldenburg."

Luc stopped for a moment. That was where Elsa and Anna's father had been sent.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I know someone there."

"Oh, a friend?"

"Yes, but I doubt you know him. He hasn't been there very long"

They continued their walk to the trench. When they finally got back to Karl, he was struggling to stay awake but he noticed Luc's coat.

"Glad you were able to find a replacement."

They ate their food in silence. After some time, Peter must've been trying to make small talk. "So Luc, are you and your lady engaged?"

This got Karl's attention. "Oh I completely forgot! You never told me her name before we left. Who is she?"

Luc paused for a moment. They were thousands of miles from Arendelle and he trusted Karl enough. "Elsa, Mr. Agdar's daughter."

Karl looked at him with surprise and shock. After a moment he spoke. "Well... that explains a lot."

Peter was curious. "Care to explain?"

Karl looked at Luc wordlessly asking permission to tell him. Luc nodded.

"We were stationed in Arendelle before we were sent here. One night this man that went to our church was arrested for smuggling. His name was Agdar and he had two daughters, Elsa and Anna. A couple of days later, they were caught trying to break him out. The girls escaped and Luc was supposed to be patroling and somehow, they got by him. It's what got him a ticket to this paradise."

Now Peter was shocked. "Wow..."

Karl looked to Luc. "So she was the girl you went to see the day after they escaped?"

Luc nodded, not sure what he would say next.

"Luc... If the Colonel found out, he would have had you shot as a traitor."

Luc stared at the fire. "I know."

They stayed silent for a while. Finally Peter reached for his rifle. "Well gentlemen, I'll be in the OP tonight. See you both in the morning."

He crawled out of the trench and out to the observation post about thirty meters out from the line.

Once they were alone, Karl looked at Luc. "How long has this been going on between you and her?"

"Well... There's not really anything going on."

Karl scratched his head. "Luc... Have you considered the possibility that maybe she just wanted you to help her?"

"No I haven't. She cares about me."

"How do you know for sure? Her father had been taken and she may have jus-"

The look Luc gave him silenced him.

Karl took a deep breathe. "I just don't want you to get hurt or to get your hopes up and find out she was just using you."

Luc didn't know how to respond to this. "I know, but she's not like that. Thanks for your concern."

Karl grabbed his blanket. "Well... Goodnight Luc."

"Goodnight."

Once Karl had wrapped up in his blanket and turned his back to the fire, Luc reached into his pocket. He retrieved the blue cloth that Elsa had given him. He often thought about their conversation and he was especially thinking about it now. The way she spoke to him and her trusting him with something her mother had given her convinced him even more that Karl was wrong. Yes, there was a possibility Karl was right but he refused to believe Elsa would do that to him. He held the cloth tightly in his hands as he drifted to sleep in the freezing snow.

* * *

The sound of several explosions woke Luc. His eyes shot open and he immediately saw the men standing at the wall of the trench getting ready for whatever the enemy was throwing at them today. He could hear screams through all the gunshots. He looked over the top and was shocked to see Peter slowly crawling back to them. The OP had been hit by a shell and somehow Peter had survived. Luc was torn between what he should do. Then he saw blood explode from Peter's leg as a bullet tore through it and he quickly pulled himself out of the trench without taking enough time to talk himself out of it.

"Soldier! Get back here!"

He ignored the voices and ran as fast as he could.

He made it to Peter within seconds but was horrified by what he found. Peter had been shot through the leg but that was his only remaining leg. His other leg was missing below his knee. The back of his uniform was bloody and torn from the shrapnel that had ripped through it and pierced his body.

Luc didn't know what to do except grab him by the arms and start pulling. He could hear bullets barely passing his ears but with his mind fueled with adrenaline, he ignored everything and pulled Peter as fast as he could. The trench was getting closer and closer and Luc was starting to give in to the hope that maybe they would make it.

His hope vanished immediately when he saw a crimson mist spray from his shoulder, then he felt it. He fell to the ground from the force of the bullet and the overwhelming pain. He was just a few meters from the trench. Still holding onto Peter's arm, he started crawling. The searing pain in his shoulder drew a scream from him but he kept moving.

He felt himself getting weaker by the second and could feel the front his uniform getting soaked with his own blood. He finally buried his face in the snow, unable to hold his head up anymore. But he was still able to slowly crawl.

Then it was as if ten thousand voices shouted together in unison from across the battlefield. "URRAH!" Even in his weakened state, the battle cry sent a chill down Luc's spine.

The sounds of gunfire intensified and Luc was starting to feel his body going numb. He stopped crawling. He couldn't go any further. He accepted that he was probably going to die here in the snow. Then he felt a hand grab his arm. He picked his head up to see that he had reached the trench and the men were trying to pull him in. He pulled Peter with every bit of strength he could summon so they could reach him as well.

The men pulled both of them into the trench. He could feel himself being lowered to the ground. Then with his vision completely black and his body almost completely numb, he slipped into unconciousness.

 **Hope yall enjoyed it! I'll update soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**So back in October right after my last update, I finally got a full time job! Good news for my career, bad news for my stories. I've been working for a few months now and it's been really busy. Between a cancer diagnosis in the family which has recently been resolved (Thank the Lord), work, and other priorities, I haven't had the time to put towards the stories. I HAVE NOT ABANDONED THEM, I'm hoping I've overcome the writer's block and can now continue. Anyways, enough excuses! Here's the long overdue update! Also, thanks guest for the reviews. Unfortunately, it'll be a little while before we see Luc again :/ Hopefully, it won't be another four months... Thank all of you for being patient with me!**

Elsa awoke with a sharp jolt. Another nightmare. She'd been having them for a few days now. It took her a moment to realize that she was in their room on the ship. This morning meant the start of their seventh day at sea. The night they left port, they put enough distance between themselves and land that the Germans might not suspect they'd made it out of the city.

Their family was in the shipping business but the truth was, they'd never actually been out to sea before. So this was a first experience for both sisters. Captain Olaf was a most kind host to them. He regularly had one of his crewmen check to see if they needed anything. He made sure they were well fed, even though it was almost always fish.

She looked around and realized Anna and Kristoff weren't in the room. They had been acting different the last few days. Elsa had a suspicion, but if there was in fact something between them she'd wait and let Anna tell her when she's ready. In the meantime, she was hungry.

She made her way to the upper deck where the sea was rather calm compared to the last few days. The sun was shining and the wind blew a salty mist across the deck. She made her way to the dining room but stopped when she saw the five crewmen, Captain Olaf, Kristoff, and her sister crowding around a radio near the ship's helm. Her curiousity got the better of her as she walked over to her sister. "Good morning, Anna." Anna turned to her quickly. "Good morning, now shh." She turned her attention back to the radio and Elsa came to stand beside her. She could hear a man with an English accent speaking. "The next voice you hear will be a recording of yesterday's adress by President Roosevelt of the United States."

 _"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941-a date which will live in infamy-the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."_

Elsa gasped. They listened with full attention to the details of the attack on Hawaii and all of the other attacks throughout the Pacific.

 _"No matter how long it may take us to overcome the premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory."_

Without saying a word, Captain Olaf let out a long breath and walked away from the radio.

 _"With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph-so help us God. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."_

The speech ended with an applause and the English man came back on. "This has been a broadcast of yesterday's declaration of war between America and Japan. In other news, several nations across Europe have broken diplomatic relations with Japan-"

Everyone made their way back to their duties without so much as a word or listening to anymore of the broadcast. Elsa, Anna and Kristoff made their way to the dining room for breakfast, even though they weren't feeling as hungry as they were a few minutes earlier. Olaf was there setting up the table. "So how is everyone today?" Kristoff answered him. "We're doing well, thank you."

Silence filled the room as food was brought to the table and they began eating. It was Anna who finally interrupted the silence with the subject on everyone's mind. "When do you think the Americans will be in Europe?" Elsa was just going off of what she heard. "It sounded like they're only at war with Japan." Kristoff stopped eating to speak. "It's only a matter of time. America and Germany will be fighting soon. All of Europe is going to be a battlefield. We need to find your father as quickly as possible and find a safe place to go." Elsa couldn't help but ask the question she'd been asking herself for days now with no clear answer. "And go where? The entire world is at war and we can't go home. Colonel Westergar is probably looking for us with a vengeance now." Anna wasn't entirely sure of that. "Do you really think he would after what happened in the escape?" Elsa thought back to what Hans said to them while they were captured. "Yes. He searched an entire city to find us and we got away before he could get what he was after." Anna couldn't take it anymore. She abruptly stood and left the room as fast as her legs could carry her. Kristoff started to stand but Elsa held a hand up to stop him. "I'll talk to her." She left the table and slowly walked the direction her sister had gone.

It took a few minutes but she finally found her in her bed. Her head was in her hands and Elsa didn't have to hear the sobs to know she was upset. She stood there for a moment giving her some privacy.

After a moment, she walked over to the chair near her bed and sat without saying a word. Anna stopped crying after another minute and looked up at Elsa. Elsa just sat waiting for her to open up about whatever was bothering her. "It wasn't supposed to be like this..."

"What do you mean?"

"Mother and Father were supposed to grow old together and you and I were going to live our life in Arendelle. Now we've lost everything and..." She started crying again. "And we don't even know if Father is alive!"

Elsa sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. "He's alive... We'll find him." That didn't seem to cheer her up any.

"Do you remember the story of Joseph?" Anna nodded and Elsa continued. "He had everything he could ever want but can you imagine how frightened and betrayed he must've felt when his brothers sold him to be a slave? He didn't understand why God had allowed this to happen to him until years later. In everything he went through, God had his hand on Joseph because Joseph never wavered from his faith. Years later the Pharoah-" Anna interrupted her. "The Pharoah made him the overseer of Egypt and when he crossed paths with his brothers, he forgave them and saved Egypt from a famine." Anna finished the story and silently looked at Elsa waiting for her to elaborate. "I bring that up because we need to keep strong in our faith if we're going to get through this." Anna gave a soft smile but Elsa could tell she wasn't feeling much better.

She had planned to let Anna bring up this next subject but Elsa decided her sister needed cheering up. "Sooo what's going on with you and Kristoff?" Through her tears, Anna laughed. "Well... I'm honestly not sure but... there's something there." Elsa smiled. "Well if he hurts you I'll turn him into an ice sculpture." Both the sisters shared a laugh and another hug. The room fell silent for a moment. Elsa continued to hold her sister in a comforting embrace. "We're going to find him."

* * *

Kristoff and Olaf continued to silently sit at the table after the sisters left. Kristoff finally posed a question. "I'm glad we've made it this far without being spotted but I figured we'd have made it by now. If you don't mind me asking, why haven't we reached the continent?" Olaf laughed and gestured with his fork. "Do you really think the Germans haven't spotted us? They have so many ships and U-boats, I'm sure they've had eyes on us for the last three days."

Kristoff remembered noticing a ship the day before that almost seemed to be following them, only to turn away after some time passed. "Elsa and Anna said their father was sent to the factories. If the rumors I've heard are true, we need to hurry."

Olaf nodded as he stood and unrolled a map across the table. Kristoff began to observe it. Olaf ran his finger along the labeled ports up the coast. "There's no way we can make port in Germany without your group being found." "What about dropping us off along the coast?" "It's pretty much suicide." "What about Netherlands?" "If you'll hold your questions a moment and let me make a suggestion, the Netherlands government is under direct Nazi control and I don't have any contacts there. You wouldn't last long in Germany because none of you have travel papers. Denmark is our best option. I've already set a course for Kolding and we should be in port tomorrow night."

Kristoff had never been away from Norway so he was curious to what was ahead of them. "What could we expect once we reach Germany?"

"Trust no one. You'll need to create a solid cover story explaining your group's presence anywhere you go. It's not like Norway where you can knock on almost any door and they'll give you food and shelter. The Germans are very suspicious of strangers. And all of you are foreigners. Do any of you speak German?"

"We both do." The men turned to see Elsa and Anna walking in the door. "Fluently?"

They joined them at the table and Elsa nodded "Also French and English."

Olaf smiled and pointed at them. "Great! That may save your life."

Kristoff was surprised. "Where'd you both learn all this?"

"We learned it in school."

Kristoff looked back down at the map trying to hide his insecurity. He wasn't given the opportunity to attend school. His pride wouldn't let him admit it to anyone but he couldn't even read very well and what little German he spoke, he'd picked up from interrogating prisoners. Olaf explained the plan to drop them off in Denmark. Anna gently raised her hand. "Umm, that's a start but once we've rescued our father what'll we do next?"

Olaf smiled at her attention to detail. "I will stay in Kolding under the guise of visiting family for Christmas. You'll have that much time to get back to my boat. Any longer and my presence may draw attention. If you don't make it back before Christmas, I will take my ship about 30 kilometers north to Vejle. I will wait there another two weeks. Then we could head for Sweden. Is everyone okay with this?" Nobody in the group was opposed to the idea. Aside of a few details that needed to be worked out, it was a solid plan. "Great, I'll send a message for my contact to meet us near the port."

 **December 10th / Kolding, Denmark**

The lighthouse came into view on the horizon far down the coast. The bright beam scanned the ocean as a beacon stretching across the water. Elsa and Anna were ready to get off this ship. One week at sea was more than enough to make them desire some time on land.

They had first spotted the coast of Denmark the day before and now they were steaming farther south to Kolding. The sun had set an hour or so ago and the darkness was only broken by the moonlight through the clouds. The lighthouse drew closer and closer as Olaf guided the ship into port. In no time, he had the ship positioned alongside one of the docks. He signaled to the crew to tie off, then he turned to the group. "Ladies, you and your reindeer friend will be safe on the ship until we get back. Kristoff, I need you to come with me to meet my contact at the lighthouse." "Ohh no way. We're not staying. We want to walk on solid ground." Sven snorted his agreement from behind them. Olaf chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Very well."

Once the crew had everything secured, the five of them left the ship. They walked down the gangplank and took in their surroundings. There were German troops nearby but the atmosphere wasn't nearly as tense as it was in Norway. Almost as if they belonged there. After noting their arrival with the harbormaster, they began walking down the beach to the lighthouse.

Once they arrived, it seemed like nobody was there. Kristoff looked around. "Maybe they're late." Olaf on the other hand was suspicious. "No. She doesn't run late... Something's not right."

Then a dark figure emerged from behind a nearby bush and tackled Olaf to the ground. Kristoff went for his gun but stopped when he heard a woman's laugh followed by an unfamiliar voice. "You should be more careful out here little brother. Someone might try to rob you." Olaf pushed her off of him before standing and brushing the sand from his clothes. She stood and did the same. She wore a bright smile and had dark brown hair similar to Olaf's. He gestured to the group. "Camilla, these are my traveling companions: Kristoff, Anna, Elsa, and Sven. Everyone, this is my bully of a sister, Camilla." She punched his arm and turned to the group. "It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry if I frightened you." Her smiled faltered and she looked around. "Get your things from his ship and let's go to my home. It'll look odd if we're seen out like this."

Two hours later they were all sitting around a fireplace sipping hot tea. Sven stayed in the barn that Camilla and her husband had out back. "So if my brother informed me right, you need to get to Germany. If I may ask, why would you want to go there?" Elsa sat her tea down. "Our father was arrested and sent to the factories in Oldenburg. We're going to find him."

Camilla stared at her tea and finally looked up at them with seriousness in her eyes. "How long has it been since he was sent there?"

Anna and Elsa looked at each other. "Three weeks."

Camilla didn't change her expression. She simply nodded. "I'll talk to a friend of mine in the morning about getting some travel papers."

She looked at the men. "Gentlemen, could I speak with the ladies for a moment?" They looked at each other confused before they politely stood and left. Kristoff took a glance at Anna and gave her a small smile before he walked out. Camilla moved her chair closer to the sisters. "I'm sorry, I'm only saying this because you should be prepared... The Germans are very cruel to the factory workers... Your father may not be the same man you remember him to be..."

Elsa gently put a comforting hand on her sister's arm. "We've heard."

Camilla nodded sympathetically. "If nothing goes wrong, I can have the papers in a couple of days. We're going to do everything we can to help your father."

After giving the ladies a moment, she invited the men back into the room to finish their tea.

Later that night, Anna decided to step outside for a moment to think. She'd been having a difficult time accepting what was happening to her and her family but at the same time, she couldn't help but smile. They had successfully escaped Colonel Hans and arrived safely in Denmark. That was quite an achievement in itself. She wasn't naive though, she knew the worst was probably still ahead.

She stepped into the yard so she could see the sky. The snow crunched under her shoes. The moon was partially hidden in the clouds. A cool wind brushed across her face and through her hair. There was a large tree with low handing branches that a child would have found perfect for climbing. Anna could remember her father's voice as if she were hearing it now.

 _"Anna! Where are you? You can't hide forever!" Little Anna held tightly onto the branch hoping to conceal herself from her father's sight. He had been walking around the area for a few minutes trying to find her._

 _What she didn't know was he'd spotted her immediately and was playing ignorant. Every once in a while he would look in her general direction only to see her try to hide herself even more out of the corner of his eye. He had to fight back the laughter. He neared closer and closer to her tree, being very careful to not give away his knowing where she was hiding._

 _He stood directly underneath the branch that held her when an opportunity presented itself. Anna let out a soft little sneeze. Suddenly she was snatched out of the tree by her father's strong hands. "I found you!" Her warm laughter filled the air and her father's heart. He sat her down and smiled at her before whispering to her. "Now can you help me find your sister?" Anna laughed again. "I can't! That would be cheating!"_ _Agdar let out an exagerated sigh and began searching for his older daughter._

 _After searching for several more minutes and listening to Anna giggle at his inability to find Elsa, Agdar gave up. "Alright Elsa! You win!" Suddenly a pile of snow near Anna's tree melted and Elsa stood from where she'd been hiding underneath the snow. Agdar took a breath and silently walked up to her. "Elsa, I could've stepped on you." Elsa's eyes widened. "You stepped over me twice and I'm fine!" "Well it's still not fair to use your magic to help you hide." Elsa let out a long sigh. "Yes sir."_

The memory faded as reality crept back in. Anna cherished the memories she had with her family and wanted to make so many more. She walked back to the house and made her way to the sitting room where Elsa was already asleep on a sofa near the back wall. Anna grabbed a blanket and huddled close to the fireplace and let the warmth comfort her as she softly fell asleep.

* * *

"Keep working scum!" The foreman shouted above the sound of the factory equipment. Agdar barely spared him a glance as he went back to watching over the 30 workers he was put in charge of. "Don't listen to him. We're almost finished." He put his clipboard down and stood at his station. For every twenty rifle barrels that passed, he was to inspect one. He lifted the barrel, ignoring the pain in his back and shoulders from a long work day. It was a good barrel so he placed it back on the line. After a few minutes, he heard the whistle signaling the end of their 10 hour shift. As they all started to leave their station, they were met by the foreman and two armed guards. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Our shift is over."

"Well the boss says 3rd shift isn't coming in tonight so you lucky gentlemen get to pull an extra shift in their place." The foreman turned to leave without another word. Agdar's crew was stunned. This was the second time in a week. Agdar turned to them. "Just wait a minute, I'll talk with him." He ran to catch up with the foreman.

"Sir-" He had no sooner uttered the word before the guards turned and aimed their weapons at him. He quickly raised his hands to signal he wasn't a threat. The foreman turned to look at him. "Herr Agdar. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Agdar gently lowered his hands. "Sir, these men have been worked to the point of exhaustion. They can't keep going like this."

"That is why I put you in charge of them. Your job is to make sure they keep going."

"But they won't be able to if-" The foreman got within a few inches of his face. "Listen carefully. That is your crew and they are your responsibility. If anything happens to any of them, I will hold you personally responsible and punishable."

The shift whistle sounded to signal the start of the new shift.

"You better get back there. Your shift just started."

There was nothing more Agdar could do. He walked back to find 30 men looking to him.

The look in his eyes must've told them enough. It was as if the hope was suddenly pulled from every one of them.

Agdar knew he couldn't let them give up hope or they wouldn't survive the night. He stepped up on a large crate and looked at them. His voice was loud enough that they all could hear him. " _He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint._ "

He paused to let those words sink in.

"Nobody asked for this. There's somewhere we would all rather be and someone we would rather be with but instead, we are here. We will work and we will not give up. We will trust in the Lord and His strength will sustain us. We can't lose faith if we hope to survive."

What was hopelessness a few seconds ago was now replaced by determination.

"If the man next to you faints or falters, help him! We will do this together! We will survive together!"

He stepped down to the floor and walked through the crowd as they watched him take the lead back to the work stations.

"Let's go to work men!"

And they all followed him with a newfound sense of hope.

 **So we finally have a peek of what's going on with Agdar! He's a leader leading others through a difficult time. I'm going to update very soon I hope. Once again, I apoligize for my long absence. The verses Agdar spoke in his speech was Isaiah 40:29-31.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Long overdue update. I have no excuses. No excuses what so ever about working 50 hours a week, writer's block, trying to get enough sleep, and sort of having a social life. Anyways, hope yall enjoy the new chapter! :)**

 **Also, the characters are in Germany for most of this chapter and my German is very limited (and I don't trust translate) so if the text is in bold, that basically means they're speaking German.**

Colonel Hans paced in front of his Lieutenants while holding a pack of ice to his head where he'd been struck. "I just don't understand how this could happen!"

"I'm sorry sir, we've searched all ove-" The Colonel cut him off with a slam of his fist against the desk.

"YOU'VE ALREADY SAID THAT!" His face was red with anger as he started pacing again. "No doubt they've left the city by now..." A knock was heard at the door.

"Sir, he's coming around. Would you like to speak with him again?" Hans stopped and thought for a moment. "Yes."

They left the room and walked down the hall in silence. Nothing but the sound of their heavy boots hitting the cold concrete floor echoed through the halls. They entered a room where Anders was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. One of his eyes was swollen shut while the other was barely open, and the rest of his face was crimson from several bloody cuts. Hans took three steps until he was mere inches in front of Anders. He planted a firm slap across the swollen side of his face. Ander's came alive with a pained scream. Hans leaned forward so he was inches from his face. "Now let's try this again. How did they escape?" Through heavy breaths, Anders was barely able to speak.

"I keep telling you the older one is a witch! She broke free from her chains and attacked us with ice that she conjured!" Hans shook his head. He stood tall and began walking impatiently back and forth in front of Anders.

"Two of my men were attacked during the escape and they insist there was someone else with them. Another of my soldiers said he was disarmed and restrained by a civilian. We've tracked down the man that was hiding them in his home when we found them. I will be attending his execution shortly." He looked at Anders out of the corner of his eyes. "But maybe they had inside help. I was knocked unconscious, but not you. You were the only other person in the room and the only thing you have to say to defend yourself is 'she's a witch'?"

He gave Anders one last chance to speak up. He finally broke the silence. "I helped you like we agreed! I told you the name of the man helping them and where they were going! Why don't you believe me?!"

"Because it's my business to not trust people. It seems I will no longer be requiring your assistance though." He looked to the soldier by the door. "Take him down to the line and get him ready."

In his anger, he turned and left the room to step outside. His Lieutenant followed him and shut the door behind him. "Sir... What if he's telling the truth?" Hans silently looked at him. "That explosion drew almost all of the guards from this building at the exact time it was infiltrated. This was nothing more than a well-executed escape. That man fell down the stairs and Private Schultz beat him. He's clearly delusional."

"Sir, I don't understand. You had a deal with Mr. Devon to free him if he helped us find the girls. Why are we going back on our word?" "Because that man's name isn't Devon. He is Anders Johansen."

The Lieutenant's eyes widened. "The partisan leader?"

"The very same."

"How do you know?"

"I recognized him from some photos the Gestapo had passed along to me some time ago. I never believed his story but I knew I had seen him somewhere before. But he had information I needed to find those girls. Now he's no use to me."

"How is he of no use?"

"He's given up whatever information he has, and his band of fighters have been scattered. Without his leadership they'll never be able to regroup." He placed his hands behind his back and stood tall displaying his authority. "Put them in front of a firing squad. But do it somewhere public. Examples must be made."

The Lieutenant stood at attention. "The firing squad will be ready shortly." With that, he exited the room to carry out his orders.

An hour later, a large crowd had gathered in the square. The two men had been tied and stood against a brick wall. A line of six soldiers stood facing them at attention as an officer shouted above the voice of the crowd. "These men were found guilty of crimes against Germany! For this crime, they have been sentenced to death! Let them serve as an example to all!"

The officer stood aside to face the two condemned men. "Make ready." The sound of boots stomping in unison echoed over the silence that had fallen over the city.

Hans stood a distance away watching as the execution unfolded. Samuel looked around anxiously as fear began to overtake him. The blindfold showing him only darkness. The silence was suffocating, the shouts of the Sergeant was all that filled his ears. Finally realizing what was about to happen... Samuel closed his eyes and held onto his last breath, tears and sweat stung the skin of his cheek...

Anders didn't listen to anything around him. Images of his family filled his mind. He hoped he would be joining them shortly but honestly, he wasn't sure... He wasn't sure of what he believed was about to happen, so he stood tall with his mind entirely caught up in the memories of his loved ones.

Hans nodded to the execution officer. With an expressionless face, he shouted the commands. "Take aim." Six rifle barrels raised... Mother's in the crowd covered their children's eyes and the faint of heart looked away.

"Fire!"

 **Later that night...**

"Who authorized you to carry out a PUBLIC execution in MY city?!" The Major General was close enough to Hans that his thundering voice felt like needles in his ears.

"With all due respect sir, those men were traitors. One of them a well known partisan leader."

"What about the other?!"

"He fed and gave shelter to fugitives of Germany."

"That's worth a few months in prison at worst! Explain how you concluded that that man should have been lined up against that wall and shot!" Hans paused for a moment.

"Herr General, it is the duty of the SS to dispose of all enemies of the Third Reich." The general stepped so close, the tip of his nose was within an inch of touching Hans'.

"Don't you dare speak to me about duty, boy! And don't you dare use your status as an SS officer to excuse your actions!" The General recognized the arrogant look in Hans' eyes that said, 'you can't do anything to me'.

His nostrils flared violently. "I know you Westergard's. You think the world is yours to do as you please but let me tell you something; if you aren't out of my city by nightfall, none of your family will be able to help you. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

Hans admitted he'd overstayed his welcome, so he reluctantly nodded. "Crystal, Sir." The general dismissed Hans and his subordinate to exit the room.

Later as the car made its way out of the city, the young Lieutenant voiced his nagging question. "So we're finished?" Hans gave him a look of confusion. "Finished with?"

"Hunting the sisters." Hans turned his attention to the passing outskirts of Skien as he pondered the question. "Yes, we are." The young officer felt relief in that answer. It had been one failure after another since they left Arendelle. Then the Colonel spoke up again. "If I can't catch them, I'll just have to make them come to me." A triumphant smile crept across his face.

 **One week later...**

Three days had passed since arriving in Denmark and the plan was already in motion. Elsa and Anna sat quietly in backseat of a car watching the snowy forest and fields pass them by as Kristoff navigated his way closer to Germany. Sven stayed behind with Olaf. It took some explaining from Kristoff, but Sven finally accepted that he couldn't go.

Camilla really came through for them. The travel papers had a true appearance of legitimacy. She not only obtained travel papers for them but even some money and a car to get them to Oldenburg. They had already worked out a cover story and shouldn't have trouble getting there.

Anna took a steadying breath as they drew closer to the border. Ahead of them she could see at least a dozen guards standing at a gate all armed, and every weapon was trained directly at their car. Elsa retrieved their papers for the guard that was approaching the window. " **Papers?"**

Elsa handed him the leather books containing their false papers as she tried her best to keep calm and not freeze the car. Another guard circled the car checking underneath the frame and inside the trunk for anything unusual. Elsa relaxed a little as she felt her sister's comforting hand on her arm. The guard observed their documents for a moment and verified the picture identifications of every person in the car. **"What is your business in Germany?"** Elsa inhaled a lung-full of air before moving her eyes to look at the guard.

 **"** **We have a business negotiation in Oldenburg."** He watched her with a blank stare for a moment before nodding and handing her papers back to her.

 **"** **Everything seems to be in order. The next checkpoint is twenty kilometers ahead. I will alert them to expect you."** Elsa gave him a slight smile with a nod before taking their papers and rolling her window up. The guard walked ahead and shouted for them to open the gate. They slowly drove through the border positions and into Germany. After all this time, they had finally made it.

The beauty of the snow-covered countryside almost made them forget the danger they were in. They drove most of the way there, passing from checkpoint to checkpoint without any trouble, and almost in complete silence. As darkness began to fall, they found an Inn a few kilometers from Oldenburg. Kristoff pulled the car to a stop near the building. "We'll start up again in the morning." Anna looked at Kristoff and her sister.

"Do we even know where to start?" Kristoff had been pondering that question for most of the trip. Oldenburg was a large industrial area. It could take some time to find Agdar.

"We'll figure something out. On the bright side, we finally made it." He looked around at the people walking up and down the street. He turned to the girls in the back seat. "Let's go inside."

A short time later they were all sitting in a warm, dry room. Kristoff studied a map of the area in silence as Elsa and Anna sat near the window watching the snow fall. Elsa seemed to sense a tension in the room, a tension that had followed them all the way from Denmark. "I'm a little cold."

She excused herself to go sit by the fireplace in the other room. Anna raised a curious eyebrow. She'd never heard of her getting cold before. She locked eyes with her sister and knew immediately what Elsa was doing. She softly smiled in gratitude. Elsa closed the door behind her and curled up on the floor near the fireplace watching the flames dance and listening to the soft crackle.

Her mind wandered to her father again. _Would he still be the same man as before? Was he even alive?_ Elsa had tried her best to reassure Anna, but she found herself having doubts of her own. Pushing them aside for the sake of her sister, she sat there letting the warmth massage her face and hands. Pretty soon, she was wrapped in a blanket humming a song her mother had taught her as her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Her lips parted, and soft words filled the air.

 _"_ _Of all the money that e'er I had…  
I spent it in good company.  
And all the harm that e'er I've done,  
Alas it was to none but me…  
And all I've done for want of wit,  
_ _To mem'ry now I can't recall.  
_ _So fill to me the parting glass.  
_ _Goodnight and joy be with you all."_

She continued to sing, her voice getting softer and softer. Soon enough, she was resting peacefully.

Once Elsa was gone, Anna turned her attention back to Kristoff. She needed to speak with him about whatever was bothering him. He kept giving little looks and smiles at her over the last few days, but they hadn't really spoken much. The dim lights on the walls barely illuminated his face enough that Anna could see the short scruff of his jaw line.

He was so focused on the piece of paper that he didn't notice Anna walk up behind him and gently place her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her over his shoulder and she smiled down at him. "What's on your mind?"

"...You mean right now? Just trying to figure out where we can start. There's a couple of plac-"

"No, I mean are you okay? You've been a little distant ever since that night on the ship." She felt his shoulders tense for a moment as he returned his gaze to the table in front of him. Anna moved to sit in the chair beside him. He took a deep breath as she placed her hand on his arm.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He didn't hesitate.

"But I do. I want to talk to you. I'm just... not sure how." Anna was immediately afraid she'd made some sort of mistake.

"Did I do something wrong? Was it the kiss?" His eyes widened.

"No! Of course not..." She looked into his deep blue eyes waiting for him to explain. Finally, he found the words.

"I've just never been that vulnerable with someone before... But it was so easy to talk to you that night. After I had some time to think about it, it scared me." His gaze met hers and she felt the same butterflies she'd felt the night they'd shared that simple kiss. His face displayed a wild mix of fear, insecurity, but behind that was courage and boldness. She could see that despite his fear and uncertainty, he was trying his best to not let that control him. His scratchy voice broke the silence of the room. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you the impression you had done something wrong."

With a gentle smile, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck in a comforting hug. Kristoff's eyes were suddenly interested in the floor boards. His words came out sounding as if they were spoken through a breaking heart. "Anna... After we save your father and the war is over, is this going anywhere?"

She was caught off guard by the question. She figured this talk was coming at some point though. "... Well I would like for it to. You're an incredible person Kristoff. I'm glad to have shared my first kiss with you." His eyes widened in surprise. There was a short pause as he pondered her words.

"That was my first kiss too... Anna, I've never felt this way before... I don't know what to do." Anna's heart quickened at his confession.

She had never felt this way either, but then again, nobody caught her attention like Kristoff. He was so brave he risked himself to save them from the Germans twice and got them all the way to Germany to save their father, and he hadn't known them for a month. She found herself once again, questioning why he was doing this for a family he hardly knew. It was almost like he read her thoughts.

"You asked me that night on the ship why I'm doing this. This started out as just a favor for Mr. Larsen. Then... I don't know what happened. I always tried to remind myself to help those in need. But somewhere along the way, it became about more than that. I had a chance to help reunite a family. And I figured with the world so full of evil and darkness, how could I refuse? Then I got to know you… I started to…" His voice stopped as he fought to get the words out. "I started to care about you. I wanted to do what I could to help you and your family." Her face broke into an admiring smile.

"Thank you, Kristoff. You've done so much for us already. I would like to get to know you better." She ran her hand down his arm before standing from her chair. Her smile fell as she reminded herself of their current situation.

"But Elsa and I need to find our father first." He nodded his understanding before glancing back at the map and back to her sparkling eyes. They stayed that way in a comfortable silence for a moment. She finally leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight Kristoff."

He hoped the dimly lit room would hide the blush in his cheeks. It didn't. She turned to walk to the door. "Goodnight Anna." She gave him one last smile before closing the door behind her.

Kristoff tried his best to get his thoughts in order but his mind kept drifting back to her. Whether it was the wind blowing through her beautiful red hair on the deck of the ship or her piercing green eyes illuminated in a morning light, Kristoff couldn't describe what he was feeling. And her laugh. Her laugh alone made his heart jump. She was so different from anyone he'd ever met. He sat for a few more minutes processing the conversation they'd just had before returning his attention to the map.

Anna closed the door and finally let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Slowly she walked to the fireplace where she found her sister sound asleep wrapped in a blanket. She found a blanket for herself and made a spot to sleep next to Elsa. She looked at her older sibling for a moment. In that moment she appreciated her. Whether she was needing advice, comforting, or a stern voice to correct her, Elsa was there for her. She is her role model. She is her hero. She is her big sister. "Thank you, Elsa." She placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and curled up next to her. She said a prayer for their father before the exhaustion of the day pushed her into a hard sleep.

 **Five days later…**

The search was not going well…

On the first day, Kristoff had began going around to the different factories claiming to be looking for work. Keeping his eye out for Agdar or anything that might lead to his location.

Elsa and Anna had been making friends in town to pick up any kind of chatter or information they could. They were careful with the questions they asked and what they said. Nothing so far. Elsa hid her fears and doubts of what became of her father. _Conceal, don't feel._ But just because she hid them, doesn't mean she didn't think about it. Anna wasn't as good at hiding what she felt. After the second day, she began crying herself to sleep every night. Kristoff tried to reassure her but there wasn't much he could do. The days passed without any sign of Agdar.

Elsa had found a job the second day in a nearby restaurant waiting tables. She wouldn't have taken a job in a foreign country (that she was also a fugitive from) but she'd heard this place was the most popular dining establishment in town. Occasionally, a large group would come in from the factories to eat and talk. Elsa had learned a lot in only three days but still nothing pertaining to her father.

As the afternoon wore on, a group of men walked in clearly coming from a factory. Their clothes covered in what appeared to be either ash or grease. Either way, Elsa would have to clean up after they leave. She brought them their drinks and while the kitchen prepared their food, she lingered nearby pretending to wipe down the bar as they talked about their day. Then something interesting came up.

 **"You ever figure out what happened to that foreman?"  
"I don't know. It's a shame though. For a prisoner, he was a real friendly guy."  
**One of the men spoke smugly.

 **"Who cares! He wasn't even German. He was Norwegian or something."  
** That got Elsa's attention. She needed more information.

She took the group's food to their table and decided to make small talk.

 **"Looks like you gentlemen had a long day."**

The old timers laughed while the younger men just sat there admiring her. One of the older men shook his head and spoke to her.

 **"Yes ma'm. Another day in paradise."**

She noticed Kristoff walk in. His eyes conveyed that he hadn't found anything. Then an idea formed in her mind. She gently waved her hand for him to come over.

 **"I beg your pardon gentlemen, but is your workplace in need of a foreman?"**

They looked at each other confused before she gestured to Kristoff who had just walked up.

 **"My brother is looking for a job."**

The same older man raised an eyebrow.

 **"He seems a bit young to be a foreman."**

 **"Actually, he was the foreman at our family's factory before it got bombed. Now he's looking for another job."**

The two older men whispered to each other before turning back to them.

 **"As fate would have it, we actually just lost a foreman."**

Elsa decided to get some information. **"Really? Was he fired?"**

 **"Actually he was a prisoner. For some reason, they put him in charge of the other prisoners."**

Elsa faked a look of shock as if she hadn't heard what they were saying earlier. **"What happened to him?"**

 **"One of his crew died of exhaustion during a double shift and they blamed him for it. We haven't seen him in a few days."**

The man turned his attention to Kristoff with a friendly smile.

 **"Well young man, you'll want to talk to Henry Fischer. We call him "Henry the Horrible", but you'll learn why soon enough."**

Elsa smiled her appreciation.

 **"Thank you, gentlemen."**

The younger men were still admiring her but as she turned to walk away, she heard someone get slapped and the old man whispered. **"It's not polite to stare, boy."**

Elsa laughed under her breath and made her way back to the bar and she nodded for Kristoff to sit while she resumed wiping down the already clean counter.

"I didn't catch everything, but it sounded like you were trying to get me a job."

She looked around to make sure nobody could hear them.

"I overheard those men talking about a foreman who was a Norwegian prisoner."

Kristoff's eyes widened in hope as he spoke in an excited whisper.

"Finally! That's something to follow up on… You don't look very happy though."

She couldn't help but worry. After five days of searching, they find something only to have it possibly lead somewhere she didn't want to go.

"They held him responsible for one of the laborers dying on the job. Nobody's seen him for a few days."

Kristoff's eyes dropped for a moment before he regained his hope.

"Hey, we don't know anything for sure yet. We'll all talk tonight and come up with a plan. Okay?"

Elsa couldn't help but smile a little at his hope as it reminded her to stay hopeful.

"Thank you, Kristoff. I get off in an hour if you want to go find Anna and let her know what's going on."

The next hour passed at a crawling pace. Elsa's mind was racing as her doubts and fear combated with her hope and joy of possibly finally finding her father. She couldn't stand the thought of coming all this way to find him dead, but at the same time, she couldn't stand not knowing. _No._ No more thinking like that. Must stay positive and keep faith. He's alive and we're going to find him.

 **So what do yall think happened to Agdar? It's also been a while since we've heard from Luc, what do yall think happened to him? Hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter! Will update as soon as I can. Finding time to actually write is easy, but finding time to check grammar, spelling, and sentence structure can be tedious. My goal is to have the story completed within a year!**

 **Now I need some feedback. After reading a couple other fics, I noticed something about my writing style. I tend to jump from one POV to another and it's like a third person perspective. Do you, as readers, think that is an effective way of conveying what's happening and what the characters are feeling and thinking, or should I be more focused on one POV at a time? Thank you and God bless! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**I tried to get this chapter up as quick as I could. Hope everyone is still enjoying the story!**

 _Luc walked along a dirt road and was drawn in by the beautiful image in front of him. The trees stretched overhead but not enough to keep the sunlight from giving the road an ambient glow through the fall colored leaves. He paused to enjoy the feeling of the sunlight on his skin._

 _Suddenly, the sound of a girl's laugh passed his ear. "Hey wait up!" Luc turned and only caught a glimpse of blonde hair before he heard a loud thud and the sunlight turned to darkness. The ground shook. The warmth he was reveling in suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a cold that felt like needles in his skin._

The next sound was unmistakably an explosion.

The sound startled Luc and made him jump but when he did, he was struck with pain. He found himself sitting up in a bed. The warm and inviting vision he was just overtaken with was replaced by several beds lined next to his. Each one held someone that was in some way wounded and some were worse than the others.

He felt a cold hand touch his forehead. He jerked his head around and there was a nurse in a white dress, the front of it splattered with blood.

"It's okay Corporal. I'm just checking for a fever."

He struggled to form the words, his mouth was so dry. "How long have I been here?"

"Two days. Do you remember what happened?"

He thought for a moment. Everything was still a bit of a blur. "You took one in the shoulder. It barely missed one of your main arteries."

Then everything came back to him. "Where's Peter?"

She looked at him confused. "Who?"

A young officer walked up behind her. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll take it from here."

She stood from her chair. "Yes sir."

She walked away, and he took her place in the chair next to Luc's bed. Luc then realized he was a Colonel. "Sir-"

"I think we can afford to be less formal for a moment. My name is Klaus. How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright sir... Can you tell me what happened to my friend?"

"You mean Peter?"

"You know him?"

"Yes. He's my brother."

Luc heard it in his voice. "Is he okay?"

He gently nodded. "He's being discharged and sent home tomorrow. It's going to be hard to get back to a normal life with one leg. I doubt he'll ever be the same."

"Can I see him sir?" The Colonel nodded.

He called for a wheelchair and helped Luc into it. He rolled Luc into the next tent and it was far worse than the one they just left. This must've been where the priority cases went. Every single man lying on a bed was in some way mutilated, deformed, or physically damaged beyond repair. In that moment Luc felt grateful that he wasn't more severely wounded.

They reached a bedside and Luc immediately recognized his friend. Klaus cleared his throat and spoke. "You've got a visitor."

Peter looked up from his book and a bright smile spread across his face. "Luc! It's great to see you!"

Luc chuckled. "I came all the way over here to tell you the same thing."

Then Peter's smile softened. He looked like he was expecting him to say something. "I'm sorry Luc..."

Luc didn't understand. Peter looked at his brother. "You didn't tell him?"

"I wanted you to be here when I did." Luc looked up to see Klaus walk around to sit beside him. "Sir?"

He pulled two folded pieces of paper out of his coat and he quietly spoke. "I heard about what you did for him. As a show of my gratitude, I called in a favor and I managed to obtain signed honorable discharge papers for you and another soldier named Adler Traugott."

Luc's eyes widened slightly as the words struggled to reach his lips. "I-... We're going home?" The Colonel's eyes fell to the floor. Luc turned to Peter who was looking straight into his eyes. "Just the three of us are..."

Whether it was his weakened state or the medication in his system, it took Luc a few seconds to get through his confusion to what they were trying to tell him. "Karl?"

Now Peter broke eye contact and looked at his hands. "He got hit twice. Once in the arm and again in the stomach... The surgeon did everything he could but there was too much damage… Now all they can do is keep him comfortable…"

Luc's eyes widened. "He's still alive?! Where?"

Peter looked at Klaus, silently asking a favor. "I'll take you to him."

"Thank you, sir." He rolled Luc out of the tent in silence. The stars were already shining in the late evening sky, the snow peppered Luc's face, and the cold wind beat against his cheek and the air sticking to his skin. Luc took a moment to comes to terms with what was about to happen. He was having a difficult time processing it.

They entered a nearby tent. Once inside, it was quite calm. Half of the men were asleep, and the rest were trying to stay warm. Luc spotted Karl sleeping in the last bed. Klaus rolled him up to the bed. Luc turned to him. "Thank you, sir, I should be able to get back from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. I'm sure you'd like to visit with your brother." Klaus nodded and left Luc alone. Luc sat there for a moment before gently shaking Karl by the shoulder. After a few seconds, he started to stir. He weakly rolled over and he softly smiled when he saw Luc.

His voice was weak and barely above a whisper. "Hey Hero."

Luc chuckled at his attempt at humor. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"...I've been better. How are you?"

"About the same." They sat there quietly for a moment. Karl struggled with the words. "I hear you're getting discharged; you, Peter, and Adler."

Luc nodded. "I'm sorry Karl... I wish there was something I could do."

Karl looked at him with determination in his eyes. "There is something."

Karl moved his hand to grab Luc's fist. "Pray with me, Brother."

Luc didn't know what to say... He finally let the words flow from his heart. "Lord, thank you for my brother, Karl. Thank you for the honor I have to know him and go into battle alongside him. Please welcome him home warmly with open arms..." He continued to pray for another minute, just letting his genuine requests to God roll off his tongue. However he couldn't help the tear that rolled down his cheek. He finished the prayer with a shaky and choked up "Amen."

Karl let go of Luc's hand. "I need you to do me one more favor..."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you help me outside? I know I won't make it to morning and I don't want the last thing I see to be the inside of this tent."

After a moment Luc grabbed the arms of the wheelchair and pushed with every bit of strength and found he could stand rather easily, but it left him dizzy. He took a moment to get his balance before using his good arm to help Karl climb into the seat of the wheelchair.

He braced himself on the back and began rolling his friend out of the hospital tent. Once they were outside, they were met with a silence they hadn't heard since arriving here. No explosions of artillery. No crackling of gunfire. No screams of the dying. Any sound floating in the air was dead as the night.

Luc helped Karl out of the chair and onto a nearby log so he could lay back and relax. Karl felt the snow on his face and the cold wind biting him but just the feeling of it brought a huge smile to his face. "I never really appreciated the cold until now."

Luc sat in the wheelchair to give himself a rest. "Luc, what do you want out of life?"

Luc hadn't expected such a question. "I don't know... Just to make it a good life."

Karl chuckled at his vague answer and then winced from the pain of laughing. "A good life is making the most of what God's given you. So it's time for you to get on with it."

Luc's hands started trembling. "...I don't know how..."

Karl gave a weak smile. He slowly reached his hand out and placed it on Luc's arm. "Yes, you do... Say goodbye to me..." He reached up and took Luc's hand and placed something in his palm. Luc looked down shocked to see Elsa's cloth in his hand. "Go find that beautiful woman, wherever she is... Take her into your arms and don't look back. Live every second. Live right up to the end." Tears streamed down his face. "Live your life, Luc."

Luc put his head in his hands, trying his best to hide his own tears. Karl looked at him weakly. "Please... Go." With every ounce of strength he could summon, he raised his head to look Karl in the eyes. "Thank you, Brother. I couldn't have made it this far without you."

Karl smiled softly. "It's been an honor."

Karl gave Luc a nod before letting go of his arm. Luc stayed for a few more seconds and finally found the strength to turn and walk away.

After he was gone, Karl turned his attention to the stars. In the dim moonlight he could barely see the snow falling but the sky was bright with stars like he had never seen before. He breathed in as he laid his head back and let the silence fill his ears and the cold air brush across his face, ignoring the pain in his gut. In that moment, he couldn't remember seeing a more beautiful night sky.

After saying a prayer for his brothers and family, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

A sleep he would never wake from.

 **The next day…**

The morning sun brought with it the sounds of distant explosions and gunfire once again. Luc stood near the train tracks thinking about everything that had happened and now they were leaving the war. He looked to his right and through the crowd of soldiers, he made eye contact with Adler who wordlessly nodded to him and walked in his direction. As he came to stand beside him, they didn't speak. Silence settled between them as they both knew what the other was thinking.

A few minutes later they were joined by Peter and his brother pushing him in a wheelchair. Luc looked at his friends. His brothers in arms. He finally found his voice to speak. "We should say a few words for Karl."

Adler nodded and spoke for the first time since arriving. "It'd be hard to find a kinder heart. I followed him when we volunteered to come here. He didn't do it selfishly. He did it for a brother. And if he knew what was going to happen to him, I bet he still would've done it." Luc nodded his agreement and couldn't ignore the feeling of guilt in his gut. The only reason Karl and Adler were here was because of him. He felt somewhat responsible for what happened. Adler could tell what he was thinking. "In the end, it's nobody's fault. God is the one that calls us home. It's just a matter of when and where. Karl wouldn't want us to blame ourselves thinking there was something we could have done differently."

They said a few more kind words and shared a couple memories they'd had with Karl before the train was ready to be loaded to return back to Germany from the front.

A few hours later, the three men were sitting on the train heading back from the front. Overhead they could barely hear the roar of bomber engines over the sound of the locomotive.

They sat in silence. The day rolled on as the distance between them and the front grew with every passing second. It must've been 100 kilometers before one of them spoke. Adler glanced out the window and broke the looming silence. "Civilization."

Pretty soon, every man on the train that was physically able, were crowded against one side of the train. A series of buildings could be seen in the distance. Luc saw the city as a glimmer of hope that they were finally safe and away from the war. His hope soon evaporated as the train neared the city and he realized the city was nothing but rubble with a few lonely walls still standing.

Civilians seemed to be just wandering the streets carrying food, belongings, and children. Their lives had been reduced to rubble. Their homes, businesses, and possibly their families destroyed. Luc's heart broke at such destruction.

He'd seen what the war looked like up close, but this was the aftermath when the fighting moved on. He looked at his hands in his lap and realized he'd been clutching Elsa's cloth in his hands. "So what's next for you?" Adler spoke from beside him.

Luc thought for a moment. "Honestly, I never thought I'd get this far. I think I'll head back to Arendelle."

Adler gave him a knowing look. "Uh huh... For a certain young lady I assume."

Luc chuckled and punched his arm. "What about you?"

Adler was silent in thought for a moment. "Well... I think I'll go back to the farm. Mother and Father could probably use some help."

Luc sat there thinking about what awaited him in Arendelle. Friends. Community. Colonel Hans. Then he wondered if Elsa and Anna were safe and if they managed to evade the Colonel. He figured as long as they got out of Arendelle, they shouldn't have to worry too much about him. Despite being an SS Colonel, his authority could only reach so far, but he could still be ruthless.

Luc thought on his plans and the things he would say to his friends when he say them. What would he say to Elsa though? He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead... Finally exhaustion overcame him as he figured that was a problem to be solved later. He laid his head back and let a heavy sleep come over him. He had a long journey ahead as the train steamed west into the setting sun.

 **A/N So Luc is back in the picture and he is heading back from the Eastern Front after several weeks of bloodshed and carnage! Did he allow his experience to change him though? Will he be reunited with Elsa? Please leave a review to any feedback or theories to what you think happened to Agdar! Hope ya'll enjoyed the update! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

"What do you mean he's not here?!" Anna stomped her feet on the floor as she paced anxiously. "What's happened to him?!" The tears overflowed from her eyes.

Elsa ran to her and wrapped her in her arms tightly. "We'll find him, Anna. I promise you." She soon realized her voice was shaky and her own tears fell uncontrollably. Kristoff stood off to the side allowing the sisters to console each other. Elsa fought back her feelings that threatened to break the surface in the form of snow and ice that would freeze their small room and possibly the entire building. Her fear of her powers plagued her, but she did her best to stay strong. She had to stay strong for her family. It was so hard though. She feared hurting those around her if she were to lose control.

Anna's cries and tight grip on her strengthened her resolve to bury her fear and the wrath of her growing powers. She already felt the room getting cold. Then she felt arms wrapping around both her and her sister. Elsa opened her eyes to see Kristoff comfortingly embracing them both and Anna embedded her face into his chest letting her tears soak into the fabric of his shirt. It was then Elsa realized it was snowing in their room. She took a step back to wipe her tears and collect her thoughts. She distanced herself from her sister and Kristoff to calm down, so her powers would ease. After a few minutes the snow stopped. She sat in one of the chairs and focused on her love for her sister and father. The snow on the wooden floor quickly disappeared. No melted water or any trace left behind, just cold air circling through the room like a trapped wind. Anna continued to sob into Kristoff's shirt. She had so prayed they would find their father alive and safe, but her hope had been crushed.

After Elsa finally found a solid lead the day before, Kristoff had taken a job at the factory the workers had spoken about. That night he returned from the factory with news that their father had in fact been there. However, the joyous discovery was cut short as he soon informed them that the workers didn't know what had become of him. They spoke so kindly of him as if he were an old lifelong friend. But one of his workers had collapsed and died from exhaustion under his watch and the supervisor held him responsible. The workers never saw him again.

That had been several days ago.

After almost an hour, Anna's sobs became less and less, and soon she was silent. Kristoff looked down to realize she had cried herself to sleep against his chest. As gently as he could, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bed. Once she was placed underneath her blanket, he returned to a chair near Elsa. Neither of them spoke for a moment and then Kristoff finally broke the silence. "So now what do we do?"

Elsa looked at him. "You're asking me?"

"Well none of his coworkers knew what happened to him. I'm sorry Elsa. He could be anywhere now."

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. What about the supervisor?"

Kristoff shook his head. "I doubt he's going to just offer up the information…"

Elsa had another of her ideas but even she didn't like this one. "Do you know where he lives?"

Kristoff eyed her suspiciously. "Just outside of town… Why?"

"I need you to stay here and protect my sister." Kristoff slowly stood and narrowed his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

Elsa stood and grabbed her coat sitting on the table. "I'm going to have a talk with him."

She went to exit the room, but Kristoff got between her and the door. "That could mean anything from torture to chatting over coffee so can you be more specific?"

Honestly, Elsa hadn't decided exactly how she would get the information, but for Kristoff to think she would actually go as far as torture. "You seriously think I could torture someone?"

Kristoff didn't alter his expression. "I've seen people do unspeakable things for the ones they love, so what exactly do you have in mind?"

"I don't know! I'll use my powers and scare him into telling me."

Kristoff held up a hand. "While I'm sure that will work, we're deep in Germany and the last thing we need is for you to put on a show of your powers to have someone as terrible as this guy witness it. We're lucky if that Colonel back in Norway doesn't remember what you did to him and his men."

Kristoff looked in the corner and there lay a dark hooded cloak. "I've got an idea, but I need your help.

* * *

Henry stretched as he settled into his bed after another long day at the factory. He thought back to the events of the day. The prisoners were getting more rebellious with each passing day. Ever since the incident… If it came down to it, he'd let the guards step in and handle the matter. However, free labor was a rare luxury and so it would be a shame to lose such an asset. He settled into bed and pick up his copy of Mein Kampf and picked up where he'd been reading the night before and continued reading until he felt himself drifting to sleep. He turned his lamp off and settled in for the night.

The sound of breaking glass jolted him from his almost sleep. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a metal fireplace rod near his bed and slowly made his way to the sound somewhere in his house, the floorboards creaking underneath his feet. He took one step at a time down the stairs. Just as he reached the bottom, he stopped and scanned the room. He turned to go down the hall when a dark hooded figure stepped around the corner at the other end. Suddenly he felt so cold and he couldn't move his feet. He was stuck to the floor.

The hooded figure took a step towards him and spoke in a deep dark voice. "You've done horrible things, Henry."

Henry held the rod ready to swing at any moment. "S-st-stay back!"

The figure took another step. "You've hurt innocents. Wrongly punished good people."

Suddenly the rod in Henry's hand became so cold, it burned his hand so he dropped it. He fell to the floor trying to get away but he still couldn't move. "I haven't hurt anyo-"

"What about the workers? The prisoners? The man known as Agdar?"

Henry looked shocked. "He was a criminal who failed at his jo-"

"SILENCE!" The dark figure was now standing over him. "You will answer my question, or you will die where you lay. Do you really think you were justified in what you did to him?"

Henry, still trying to get away sounded terrified. "I didn't do anything to him! He's just gone!"

The figure almost sounded shocked. "What?"

"I was going to punish him, but an SS officer had ordered him to be sent somewhere in Norway! I don't remem-"

"Arendelle?"

Henry still had pure fear in his eyes. "Yes… Yes that's where he is! Please let me live! I promise I'll be good and fair from now on!"

The figure took a step back. "If you aren't, I will know and there's nowhere on earth you can hide."

Suddenly Henry's feet were free from the floor and when he looked back down the hall, the hooded figure had disappeared. Henry sat there shaking in fear from what had just happened.

Kristoff hopped out of the window and pulled the hood off after helping Elsa climb out the window behind him.

"I'm guessing you heard all of that…"

Elsa nodded. "We need to get Anna and get out of here."

"Agreed." They started heading back to town in silence. Kristoff couldn't imagine what she was feeling but she seemed to be holding herself together well. He finally broke the silence out of concern. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Kristoff could hear in her voice that she was certainly not fine, but he respected her privacy, so he didn't press her to talk anymore. After a while she broke the silence.

"Anna isn't going to take this well." Kristoff had been pondering that very thought, but he tried to see the silver lining. "At least we know where he is."

"Yes, but this was all for nothing!" Her outburst came out without hesitation. "We came all the way here and now we have to go back! Why can't that man just leave my family alone?!" Elsa could feel the wave of emotions coming and she just slumped to the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs as she pulled her knees to her chest to rest her forehead on her knees.

She sat for a moment sobbing into the skirt of her dress. Kristoff stood for a moment, giving her some space. He felt the already low temperature of the air around him dropping and he looked at the snow-covered ground.

He saw ice.

A lot of ice.

Then he heard a loud crackling. He looked up and the nearby trees were frozen solid and had begun to crack. He spoke while keeping his eyes on the potential danger. "Elsa, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down…"

He should've known that wouldn't work. "Calm down?! How dare you tell me to calm down! How could you possibly know what it feels like?!"

Kristoff realized the trees weren't going to hold much longer. Without waiting any longer, he scooped Elsa off the icy ground and ran as fast as his legs could carry him with her over his shoulder. "What are you doing?!"

Then she heard the crash of the first tree. Followed by another. Then it all happened so fast.

One after another, the trees began breaking around them. Elsa suddenly realized what she'd caused. "Kristoff put me down!"

He quickly sat her on her feet and they both continued running. As they ran, Elsa was trying her best to settle her overwhelmed feelings so she could regain control of her magic, but it was to no avail. The trees continued to freeze and break all along their path.

Kristoff screamed in pain as a large branch grazed his arm, leaving some splinters embedded in his skin. Elsa slowed down to make sure he wasn't seriously hurt. "I'm fine! Keep going!"

They continued to run and Kristoff could see a large clearing ahead, but the trees were now breaking ahead of them, not just behind them. A large tree was about to block their way out. They'd be trapped. "Hurry!"

Elsa waved her hands and barely managed to freeze the ground in front of them as her and Kristoff both dropped to the ground and slid, barely making it under the falling tree. As they stood, and prepared to keep running, they realized they were safe.

Elsa still felt her emotions running wild, but she had calmed enough to control her powers again. She noticed Kristoff hunched over, clenching his arm. She ran to check his wounds, but he held up a bloody hand and backed away from her. "I'm fine." Elsa gasped and backed away. "I-… I'm so sorry… "

She'd never lost control like that before… What if she were to lose control again?... What if she hurt Anna? Kristoff finally looked at her but kept his distance. "We need to get back to town."

She wrapped her arms around herself trying to hide herself from the world. The day she'd feared her whole life had arrived; she had lost control, and someone had gotten hurt. They walked back to town in silence with a fair distance between them. Elsa never unwrapped her arms from herself, afraid she would do further damage. Not a word was spoken, and Elsa was left completely alone with her thoughts.

That didn't do her fear of her magic any justice.

* * *

A while later they arrived at their room. Kristoff was able to hide his bloody arm from anyone on the dark streets.

They entered the room to find an anxious Anna pacing in the center of the room. Her face lit up with anger as she saw them come in, but it quickly turned to horror as she noticed Kristoff's arm.

She ran to him and started checking it over. "Kristoff is this wood in your arm?! Where have you two been?"

Elsa stood there silent for a moment. What bad news should she give first? That she'd lost control of her powers and hurt Kristoff or that their father had once again fallen into the hands of that wretched officer? Kristoff noticed her hesitation and spoke up. "We went to the factory supervisor's house to find out what had happened to your father." Elsa looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

Was he going to tell Anna what had happened? When he didn't continue, she decided to save the conversation for another time. She needed to talk with Anna about this.

She'd lost control before and made the room get cold or even snow some, but she'd never caused any kind of destruction. Anna tended to Kristoff's arm as best she could, removing the shards of wood and bandaging his arm. As soon as she was finished, she turned every bit of her attention to her sister.

"Now tell me what's going on!" Elsa was taken aback by her tone. Pondering where to start, she decided to start from the beginning. Down to each detail, she retold the events that had transpired that night up to the part where she'd lost control.

Anna listened quietly, but unable to hide the panic in her eyes as she learned what had become of their father. She started anxiously breathing and tapping her fingers on the wooden table. Completely forgetting to ask about what had happened to Kristoff's arm. After a minute, she took a deep breath and broke the silence. "Okay… We can do this."

Elsa raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Uh… What?"

She could see what she hoped was a glimmer of hope in Anna's eyes. "We can do this! We're going home and we're going to save father! Think about it Elsa, this works better for us. We know almost everyone in town and we know the land. We'll have an advantage."

Elsa had not considered that… She expected Anna to have an emotional outburst but in that moment she was the most collected one in the room. Then Anna suddenly changed the subject. There were some disadvantages as well but she decided to let Anna be hopful for the time being. They could address the details later.

"If everything went so smoothly, then what happened to your arm?" She asked with sudden realization that they'd never explained Kristoff's injury.

Elsa looked to Kristoff who nodded his head and excused himself to get some more firewood. He left the room and Anna watched him puzzled as he just dodged her question. She turned to her sister. "Elsa, what's going on? You two are starting to worry me."

Elsa wrapped her arms around herself as if to hide her hands away from world. "I... I lost control... I hurt Kristoff."

She retold the events of what happened in the forest. Anna stood in shock, she even took a step back. That really hurt Elsa...

Anna had not only been one of the very few people who knew about her powers but she had accepted her despite her unique ability. Seeing her step back from her made her feel like her sister was afraid of her. Like she no longer accepted her.

Anna stuttered a moment before voicing her thoughts. "Oh my gosh... Ar- Are you okay?"

For what felt like the tenth time that day, Elsa was fighting to keep herself together. "No... I'm not. We need to go home..."

Without warning, Anna closed the distance between them and wrapped her in an embrace. "We will. It's going to be okay."

Finally, Elsa let it all out. Her knees gave out and she sat on the floor, unable to stand. The tears she'd been bottling up and holding down flowed unrestricted from her eyes.

Elsa looked up at her. "You aren't afraid of me?"

Anna smiled at her lovingly. "No. I know you would never hurt me. You've been strong for me, Elsa. Now it's my turn."

She held tightly to her sister and her fears melted away in her Anna's embrace.

* * *

The next day was met with an early start. They had departed from Denmark a little over a week earlier. They had a few days to get back to Olaf before he had to leave Kolding. He was their best chance at getting back to Norway. It was still uncertain whether he would be able to risk another crossing so soon, but the important thing was getting back to Kolding.

It shouldn't be a problem though considering it was only a day's drive away, even though they were now taking longer than expecting leaving Oldenburg.

After checking their documents to make sure they were still good, they set out for Denmark.

The day passed mostly with small talk and an occasional checkpoint. It probably would've been impossible for them to get this far without Olaf's sister. Their family really owed Olaf and his family.

After a luggage and document check, they crossed the border from Nazi Germany into Denmark. This in no way meant they were any safer.

Pretty soon, they were almost halfway between the German border and Kolding.

The car had started making a strange sound about an hour earlier, when suddenly they started slowing down. Anna looked over at Kristoff. "You okay?" He gestured to the dashboard. "Yeah, that's not me." He steered it over to the side of the road and popped the hood. It was almost dark and they were close enough to Kolding, they could see the lights casting an illumination into the sky ahead of them.

They decided to start walking down the dark road and once they reached Kolding, they would come retrieve the car the next day.

A few hours after nightfall, they arrived at Kolding and were able to find their way to Camilla's home in the middle of town. One of the things they noticed was the activity in town despite the late hour of the night. Their legs were tired and they really needed some rest after the day they'd had. They were surprised to find the lights still on in Camilla's home.

Their clothes were snow covered and the exhaustion was starting to set in as they approached the wooden door. Elsa knocked and they stood quietly. After a moment, Olaf answered the door. His face instantly lit up in a smile at seeing them safely back. His smile fell when he noticed it was just the three of them. "What happened?" Kristoff glanced at the girls before looking back at Olaf. "It's kind of a long story."

Olaf welcomed them in and sat them down near the fire while he went and found some blankets and something hot to drink. Elsa and Anna's moods jumped when he brought back hot chocolate. He sat across from them and waited for them to explain what happened.

Kristoff explained everything from getting into Germany to the car breaking down on the way back. Olaf took it all in and his heart broke for Elsa and Anna. They had tried so hard to save their father only to have to return to the place they were running from.

They sat in silence when suddenly the sound of the clock chiming midnight rang throughout the house. The sound of the clocktower in the middle of town was heard shortly after. Voices could be heard singing out in the streets. Olaf softly spoke. "Merry Christmas everyone."

 **Well they've finally made it out of Germany but now they've got a whole new set of challenges. How will they get home and save their father and put a stop to Colonel Hans? Will their family ever be the same? Will Elsa let her fears control her? Please leave a review of what you think of the story so far and thank you for reading!**


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